Covering astronomy, demonology, witchcraft, ancient magic, and much more, this book serves as a directory to decoding over 500 signs, symbols, and icons of the occult. This expansive illustrated directory showcases the key signs and symbols of the occult. Each entry has been carefully selected for its powerful symbolism, and the stylish illustrations span from the myths and legends of the ancient world to the icons used in modern science. Award-winning author Eric Chaline introduces each topic with a short overview before featuring the key signs and symbols and exploring similar and related entries. Including signs from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as Aztec, Celtic, Slavic, Native American, and Hindu societies, Symbols of the Occult examines more than 500 symbols from history, art, and culture by decoding their iconography and exploring their historical significance. Arranged by topic, this volume collects the key areas of astrology and cosmology; witchcraft and mysticism; satanism and demonology; science and alchemy; math and sacred geometry; the natural world; and symbols of ancient and secret societies. This guide is the ultimate resource for the modern occultist.

A visual feast of eclectic artwork informed and inspired by spiritual beliefs, magical techniques, mythology and otherworldly experiences. Mystical beliefs and practices have existed for millennia, but why do we still chase the esoteric? From the beginning of human creativity itself, image-makers have been drawn to these unknown spheres and have created curious artworks that transcend time and place – but what is it that attracts artists to these magical realms? From theosophy and kabbalah, to the zodiac and alchemy; spiritualism and ceremonial magic, to the elements and sacred geometry – The Art of the Occult introduces major occult themes and showcases the artists who have been influenced and led by them. Discover the symbolic and mythical images of the Pre-Raphaelites; the automatic drawing of Hilma af Klint and Madge Gill; Leonora Carrington's surrealist interpretation of myth, alchemy and kabbalah; and much more. Featuring prominent, marginalised and little-known artists, The Art of the Occult crosses mystical spheres in a bid to inspire and delight. Divided into thematic chapters (The Cosmos, Higher Beings, Practitioners), the book acts as an entertaining introduction to the art of mysticism – with essays examining each practice and over 175 artworks to discover. The art of the occult has always existed in the margins but inspired the masses, and this book will spark curiosity in all fans of magic, mysticism and the mysterious.

This thoughtful study, which antedates the work of Jung by a generation, represents the first serious attempt to correlate the methods of psychoanalysis with the literature of alchemy and of other great Western mystical and occult traditions. Dr. Silberer was a prominent member of the Vienna School whose untimely death prevented this, his major published work, from receiving the attention it clearly merited. Included is a wealth of material taken directly from alchemical and Rosicrucian sources. Symbolisms of salt, sulphur and mercury; of the prison, the abyss and the grave; of putrefaction and procreation; and of the sun, moon, and planets are carefully analyzed and explained. Passages from the works of Hermes Trismegistus, Flamel, Lacinius, Michael Meier, Paracelsus, and Boehme are cited both as important sources of alchemical doctrine and to substantiate the thesis that alchemy was a spiritual discipline of the highest order, comparable to the Yoga of the East. The entire inquiry is based on a parable from the pages of "Geheime Figuren der Rosenkreuzer," an l8th-century alchemical text. After a general exposition of dream and myth interpretation, Dr. Silberer proceeds to a psychoanalytic interpretation of the parable and then gives a detailed account of the traditions and practices of the alchemists, Rosicrucians, and Freemasons. Returning to the parable, he introduces the problem of dual interpretations; for while the psychoanalytic approach focuses on the depths of the impulsive life, the hermetic and mystical leads to the heights of spirituality. The heart of the book is an attempt to reconcile these divergent philosophies and a meditation on the relationship of introversion to mysticism.

Looks at amulets, tarot cards, monoliths, hill carvings, mazes, clocks, frescoes, and gargoyles, and discusses the portrayal of demons and magic in paintings, engravings, sculpture, and stained glass

"Searching for a deeper understanding of the power and influence of surrealist art, Nadia Choucha clearly confirms that many surrealists and their predecessors were steeped in magical ideas. The Theosophical involvement of Kandinsky, the visionary paintings of Salvador Dali, the alchemy of Pablo Picasso, and the shamanism of Max Ernst and Leonora Carrington all demonstrate the fundamental and dynamic impact of magic and mysticism on surrealism. Surrealist artists believed that society had much to learn from the unconditioned, spontaneous forms of art produced by spiritual mediums, children, untutored artists, and the insane. In their attempt to tap the unconscious regions of the mind, the surrealists borrowed imagery from alchemy, the Tarot, Gnosticism, Tantra, and other esoteric traditions and sought inspiration from ancient myths, 'irrational' thought, and ethnic art. Enhanced by both color and black-and-white reproductions of fine art, Choucha's account explains the intimate connections between occult and surrealist philosophies and provides an essential key to the mysteries of the surrealist movement and the forces that give it life" --Back cover.

Symbols are often seen as constituting an international language and to some extent they do, but that language is far from universal--context means everything in this complicated but engrossing form of communication. Take, for example, a cross, a crane, or a swastika: each one has a different and distinct significance and meaning for a Buddhist, an art historian, or a student of the occult. 1000 Symbols resolves the problem by offering groupings of related symbols, every one with a neat definition of its history and its cross-cultural meanings.

Discover the most fascinating and in-depth meanings behind the symbols used by the Masons, occultists, witches, New Agers, Satanists, and others. This book uncovers the hidden meanings behind the symbols that we see around us every day. In this well-documented book you will see hundreds of illustrations along with their explanations. You will find many organizational logos, hand signals, tarot cards, zodiac signs, talismans, amulets, and humanist symbols, as well as the meaning of the peace symbol, hexagram, pentagram, yin/yang, circle, all-seeing eye, caduceus, oroborus, ankh, triskele, and the triangle. Also revealed in this book are numerous Masonic and Eastern Star symbols such as the clasped hands, point within a circle, broken column, gavel, obelisk, pomegranate, and the cornucopia. Jeremiah 10:2-3 warns: "Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven;...for the customs of the people are vain."

From antiquity to the Enlightenment, astrology, magic, and alchemy were considered important tools to unravel the mysteries of nature and human destiny. As a result of the West's exposure during the Middle Ages to the astrological beliefs of Arab philosophers and the mystical writings of late antiquity, these occult traditions became rich sources of inspiration for Western artists. In this latest volume in the popular Guide to Imagery series, the author presents a careful analysis of occult iconography in many of the great masterpieces of Western art, calling out key features in the illustrations for discussion and interpretation. Astrological symbols decorated medieval churches and illuminated manuscripts as well as fifteenth-century Italian town halls and palaces. The transformational zymology of magic and alchemy that enlivened the work of a wide range of Renaissance artists, including Bosch, Brueghel, D: urer, and Caravaggio, found renewed expression in the visionary works of nineteenth-century artists, such as Fuseli and Blake, as well as in the creative output of the twentieth century's Surrealists.