The Greater and Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd

The Greater and Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd

Author: Joscelyn Godwin

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2019-12-17

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1620559501

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

An illustrated reference book on a seminal figure of occult philosophy and Renaissance thought • Explains Fludd’s thoughts on cosmic harmonies, divination, the kabbalah, astrology, geomancy, alchemy, the Rosicrucians, and multiple levels of existence • Includes more than 200 of Fludd’s illustrations, representing the whole corpus of Fludd’s iconography, each one accompanied by Godwin’s expert commentary • Explores Fludd’s medical work as an esoteric Paracelsian physician and his theories on the macrocosm of elements, planets, stars, and subtle and divine beings and the microcosm of the human being and its creative activities, including material never before translated One of the last Renaissance men, Robert Fludd (1574-1637) was one of the great minds of the early modern period. A physician by profession, he was also a Christian Hermetist, a Rosicrucian, an alchemist, astrologer, musician, and inventor. His drive to encompass the whole of human knowledge--from music to alchemy, from palmistry to fortification--resulted in a series of books remarkable for their hundreds of engravings, a body of work recognized as the first example of a fully-illustrated encyclopedia. In this in-depth, highly illustrated reference, scholar and linguist Joscelyn Godwin explains Fludd’s theories on the correspondence between the macrocosm of elements, planets, stars, and subtle and divine beings and the microcosm of the human being and its creative activities. He shows how Fludd’s two worlds--the macrocosm and the microcosm--along with Paracelsus’s medical principles and the works of Hermes Trismegistus provided the foundation for his search for the cause and cure of all diseases. The more than 200 illustrations in the book represent the whole corpus of Fludd’s iconography, each one accompanied by Godwin’s expert commentary and explanation. Sharing many passages translated for the first time from Fludd’s Latin, allowing him to speak for himself, Godwin explores Fludd’s thoughts on cosmic harmonies, divination, the kabbalah, astrology, geomancy, and the rapport between the multiple levels of existence. He also analyzes Fludd’s writings in defense of alchemy and the Rosicrucians. An essential reference for scholars of Renaissance thinkers, traditional cosmology, metaphysics, and the Western esoteric tradition, this book offers intimate access to Fludd’s worlds and gives one a feel for an epoch in which magic, science, philosophy, spirituality, and imagination could still cohabit and harmonize within a single mind.


Book Synopsis The Greater and Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd by : Joscelyn Godwin

Download or read book The Greater and Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd written by Joscelyn Godwin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-12-17 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated reference book on a seminal figure of occult philosophy and Renaissance thought • Explains Fludd’s thoughts on cosmic harmonies, divination, the kabbalah, astrology, geomancy, alchemy, the Rosicrucians, and multiple levels of existence • Includes more than 200 of Fludd’s illustrations, representing the whole corpus of Fludd’s iconography, each one accompanied by Godwin’s expert commentary • Explores Fludd’s medical work as an esoteric Paracelsian physician and his theories on the macrocosm of elements, planets, stars, and subtle and divine beings and the microcosm of the human being and its creative activities, including material never before translated One of the last Renaissance men, Robert Fludd (1574-1637) was one of the great minds of the early modern period. A physician by profession, he was also a Christian Hermetist, a Rosicrucian, an alchemist, astrologer, musician, and inventor. His drive to encompass the whole of human knowledge--from music to alchemy, from palmistry to fortification--resulted in a series of books remarkable for their hundreds of engravings, a body of work recognized as the first example of a fully-illustrated encyclopedia. In this in-depth, highly illustrated reference, scholar and linguist Joscelyn Godwin explains Fludd’s theories on the correspondence between the macrocosm of elements, planets, stars, and subtle and divine beings and the microcosm of the human being and its creative activities. He shows how Fludd’s two worlds--the macrocosm and the microcosm--along with Paracelsus’s medical principles and the works of Hermes Trismegistus provided the foundation for his search for the cause and cure of all diseases. The more than 200 illustrations in the book represent the whole corpus of Fludd’s iconography, each one accompanied by Godwin’s expert commentary and explanation. Sharing many passages translated for the first time from Fludd’s Latin, allowing him to speak for himself, Godwin explores Fludd’s thoughts on cosmic harmonies, divination, the kabbalah, astrology, geomancy, and the rapport between the multiple levels of existence. He also analyzes Fludd’s writings in defense of alchemy and the Rosicrucians. An essential reference for scholars of Renaissance thinkers, traditional cosmology, metaphysics, and the Western esoteric tradition, this book offers intimate access to Fludd’s worlds and gives one a feel for an epoch in which magic, science, philosophy, spirituality, and imagination could still cohabit and harmonize within a single mind.


Robert Fludd

Robert Fludd

Author: William Huffman

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Published: 2001-09-24

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 9781556433733

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Renaissance man, Elizabethan philsopher, and scholar Robert Fludd sought to integrate the whole of human knowledge within a divine and hierarchically ordered cosmology. After completing his education at Oxford University, he journeyed throughout Europe seeking the knowledge of mystics, scientists, musicians, physicians, and alchemists, leading to the publication of many historically influential works on science, medicine, and philosophy.


Book Synopsis Robert Fludd by : William Huffman

Download or read book Robert Fludd written by William Huffman and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2001-09-24 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Renaissance man, Elizabethan philsopher, and scholar Robert Fludd sought to integrate the whole of human knowledge within a divine and hierarchically ordered cosmology. After completing his education at Oxford University, he journeyed throughout Europe seeking the knowledge of mystics, scientists, musicians, physicians, and alchemists, leading to the publication of many historically influential works on science, medicine, and philosophy.


Athanasius Kircher's Theatre of the World

Athanasius Kircher's Theatre of the World

Author: Joscelyn Godwin

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Published: 2015-02

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780500291740

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Athanasius Kircher (1602-80) was acknowledged to be the most learned man of his age. This text studies the fascinating engravings with which he illustrated his ideas. These illustrations reveal his singular mind and the way he was drawn to mysticism and magic.


Book Synopsis Athanasius Kircher's Theatre of the World by : Joscelyn Godwin

Download or read book Athanasius Kircher's Theatre of the World written by Joscelyn Godwin and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2015-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Athanasius Kircher (1602-80) was acknowledged to be the most learned man of his age. This text studies the fascinating engravings with which he illustrated his ideas. These illustrations reveal his singular mind and the way he was drawn to mysticism and magic.


Robert Fludd

Robert Fludd

Author: Joscelyn Godwin

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 1991-01-01

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13: 9780933999695

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Robert Fludd was one of the last true 'Renaissance men' who took all learning as their preserve and tried to encompass the whole of human knowledge. His voluminous writings were devoted to defending the philosophy of the alchemists and Rosicrucians, and applying their doctrines to a vast description of man and the universe. Expounding the ideas of cosmic harmony, the multiple levels of existence and the correlations between them, Fludd summarizes esoteric teachings common to all ages and peoples. Fludd had a genius for expressing his philosophy and cosmology in graphic form, and his works were copiously illustrated by some of the best engravers of his day. All of Fludd's important plates are collected here for the first time, annotated and explained, together with an introduction to his life and thought.


Book Synopsis Robert Fludd by : Joscelyn Godwin

Download or read book Robert Fludd written by Joscelyn Godwin and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 1991-01-01 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Robert Fludd was one of the last true 'Renaissance men' who took all learning as their preserve and tried to encompass the whole of human knowledge. His voluminous writings were devoted to defending the philosophy of the alchemists and Rosicrucians, and applying their doctrines to a vast description of man and the universe. Expounding the ideas of cosmic harmony, the multiple levels of existence and the correlations between them, Fludd summarizes esoteric teachings common to all ages and peoples. Fludd had a genius for expressing his philosophy and cosmology in graphic form, and his works were copiously illustrated by some of the best engravers of his day. All of Fludd's important plates are collected here for the first time, annotated and explained, together with an introduction to his life and thought.


Curious Tales from Chemistry

Curious Tales from Chemistry

Author: Lars Öhrström

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2013-11-28

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0191637068

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This is a book about discovery and disaster, exploitation and invention, warfare and science - and the relationship between human beings and the chemical elements that make up our planet. Lars Ohrstrom introduces us to a variety of elements from S to Pb through tales of ordinary and extraordinary people from around the globe. We meet African dictators controlling vital supplies of uranium; eighteenth-century explorers searching out sources of precious metals; industrial spies stealing the secrets of steel-making. We find out why the Hindenburg airship was tragically filled with hydrogen, not helium; why nail-varnish remover played a key part in World War I; and the real story behind the legend of tin buttons and the downfall of Napoleon. In each chapter, we find out about the distinctive properties of each element and the concepts and principles that have enabled scientists to put it to practical use. These are the fascinating (and sometimes terrifying) stories of chemistry in action.


Book Synopsis Curious Tales from Chemistry by : Lars Öhrström

Download or read book Curious Tales from Chemistry written by Lars Öhrström and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2013-11-28 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book about discovery and disaster, exploitation and invention, warfare and science - and the relationship between human beings and the chemical elements that make up our planet. Lars Ohrstrom introduces us to a variety of elements from S to Pb through tales of ordinary and extraordinary people from around the globe. We meet African dictators controlling vital supplies of uranium; eighteenth-century explorers searching out sources of precious metals; industrial spies stealing the secrets of steel-making. We find out why the Hindenburg airship was tragically filled with hydrogen, not helium; why nail-varnish remover played a key part in World War I; and the real story behind the legend of tin buttons and the downfall of Napoleon. In each chapter, we find out about the distinctive properties of each element and the concepts and principles that have enabled scientists to put it to practical use. These are the fascinating (and sometimes terrifying) stories of chemistry in action.


Plato and the Question of Beauty

Plato and the Question of Beauty

Author: Drew A. Hyland

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2008-05-28

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0253219779

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Drew A. Hyland, one of Continental philosophy's keenest interpreters of Plato, takes up the question of beauty in three Platonic dialogues, the Hippias Major, Symposium, and Phaedrus. What Plato meant by beauty is not easily characterized, and Hyland's close readings show that Plato ultimately gives up on the possibility of a definition. Plato's failure, however, tells us something important about beauty—that it cannot be reduced to logos. Exploring questions surrounding love, memory, and ideal form, Hyland draws out the connections between beauty, the possibility of philosophy, and philosophical living. This new reading of Plato provides a serious investigation into the meaning of beauty and places it at the very heart of philosophy.


Book Synopsis Plato and the Question of Beauty by : Drew A. Hyland

Download or read book Plato and the Question of Beauty written by Drew A. Hyland and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2008-05-28 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drew A. Hyland, one of Continental philosophy's keenest interpreters of Plato, takes up the question of beauty in three Platonic dialogues, the Hippias Major, Symposium, and Phaedrus. What Plato meant by beauty is not easily characterized, and Hyland's close readings show that Plato ultimately gives up on the possibility of a definition. Plato's failure, however, tells us something important about beauty—that it cannot be reduced to logos. Exploring questions surrounding love, memory, and ideal form, Hyland draws out the connections between beauty, the possibility of philosophy, and philosophical living. This new reading of Plato provides a serious investigation into the meaning of beauty and places it at the very heart of philosophy.


Promethean Ambitions

Promethean Ambitions

Author: William R. Newman

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2005-10-01

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0226577139

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In an age when the nature of reality is complicated daily by advances in bioengineering, cloning, and artificial intelligence, it is easy to forget that the ever-evolving boundary between nature and technology has long been a source of ethical and scientific concern: modern anxieties about the possibility of artificial life and the dangers of tinkering with nature more generally were shared by opponents of alchemy long before genetic science delivered us a cloned sheep named Dolly. In Promethean Ambitions, William R. Newman ambitiously uses alchemy to investigate the thinning boundary between the natural and the artificial. Focusing primarily on the period between 1200 and 1700, Newman examines the labors of pioneering alchemists and the impassioned—and often negative—responses to their efforts. By the thirteenth century, Newman argues, alchemy had become a benchmark for determining the abilities of both men and demons, representing the epitome of creative power in the natural world. Newman frames the art-nature debate by contrasting the supposed transmutational power of alchemy with the merely representational abilities of the pictorial and plastic arts—a dispute which found artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Bernard Palissy attacking alchemy as an irreligious fraud. The later assertion by the Paracelsian school that one could make an artificial human being—the homunculus—led to further disparagement of alchemy, but as Newman shows, the immense power over nature promised by the field contributed directly to the technological apologetics of Francis Bacon and his followers. By the mid-seventeenth century, the famous "father of modern chemistry," Robert Boyle, was employing the arguments of medieval alchemists to support the identity of naturally occurring substances with those manufactured by "chymical" means. In using history to highlight the art-nature debate, Newman here shows that alchemy was not an unformed and capricious precursor to chemistry; it was an art founded on coherent philosophical and empirical principles, with vocal supporters and even louder critics, that attracted individuals of first-rate intellect. The historical relationship that Newman charts between human creation and nature has innumerable implications today, and he ably links contemporary issues to alchemical debates on the natural versus the artificial.


Book Synopsis Promethean Ambitions by : William R. Newman

Download or read book Promethean Ambitions written by William R. Newman and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2005-10-01 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In an age when the nature of reality is complicated daily by advances in bioengineering, cloning, and artificial intelligence, it is easy to forget that the ever-evolving boundary between nature and technology has long been a source of ethical and scientific concern: modern anxieties about the possibility of artificial life and the dangers of tinkering with nature more generally were shared by opponents of alchemy long before genetic science delivered us a cloned sheep named Dolly. In Promethean Ambitions, William R. Newman ambitiously uses alchemy to investigate the thinning boundary between the natural and the artificial. Focusing primarily on the period between 1200 and 1700, Newman examines the labors of pioneering alchemists and the impassioned—and often negative—responses to their efforts. By the thirteenth century, Newman argues, alchemy had become a benchmark for determining the abilities of both men and demons, representing the epitome of creative power in the natural world. Newman frames the art-nature debate by contrasting the supposed transmutational power of alchemy with the merely representational abilities of the pictorial and plastic arts—a dispute which found artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Bernard Palissy attacking alchemy as an irreligious fraud. The later assertion by the Paracelsian school that one could make an artificial human being—the homunculus—led to further disparagement of alchemy, but as Newman shows, the immense power over nature promised by the field contributed directly to the technological apologetics of Francis Bacon and his followers. By the mid-seventeenth century, the famous "father of modern chemistry," Robert Boyle, was employing the arguments of medieval alchemists to support the identity of naturally occurring substances with those manufactured by "chymical" means. In using history to highlight the art-nature debate, Newman here shows that alchemy was not an unformed and capricious precursor to chemistry; it was an art founded on coherent philosophical and empirical principles, with vocal supporters and even louder critics, that attracted individuals of first-rate intellect. The historical relationship that Newman charts between human creation and nature has innumerable implications today, and he ably links contemporary issues to alchemical debates on the natural versus the artificial.


Forbidden Fruits

Forbidden Fruits

Author: Joscelyn Godwin

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2020-11-17

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1644111586

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A bold thriller filled with esoteric secrets, psychedelic rituals, blackmail, and murder • Follows American archaeologist Monica Bettlheim, her benefactor Maltese billionaire Sebastian Pinto, and Pinto’s son Rafael as they make startling discoveries about the ancient world, hallucinogenic sacraments, and modern-day crime syndicates • Reveals a secret ritual at the heart of Christianity, knowledge of which was passed on underground by Gnostics and alchemists for centuries • Explore the use of the Kykeon, the psychedelic brew of the Eleusinian mysteries, which offers those who drink it a direct experience of God Amid the European refugee crisis, with the background of Southern Europe having become the point of arrival for hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants, Monica Bettlheim, an American archaeologist, is trying to recapture her former fame. She has a mission to uncover prehistoric cultures that conventional archaeology and history both fear and deny. Her search is sponsored by an eccentric aristocrat, the larger-than-life Maltese billionaire Sebastian Pinto. On an underwater expedition off the coast of Malta, Monica finds a mysterious golden pomegranate that dates back to prehistoric times. Within it, she discovers ancient remnants of the Kykeon, the hallucinogenic sacrament of the Eleusinian mysteries, which offers those who drink it a direct experience of God. As the discovery leads to blackmail and murder, Monica uncovers a secret ritual right at the heart of Christianity, knowledge of which was passed on underground by Gnostics and alchemists for centuries. Reluctantly, Monica teams up with the elusive and troubled Rafael, Pinto’s son, who for some years has been deeply immersed in esoteric studies. Driven by the need to avenge a murder and uncover the activities of an international crime syndicate, they risk their lives by reviving the sacred ritual--and are confronted by the most terrifying revelation of all.


Book Synopsis Forbidden Fruits by : Joscelyn Godwin

Download or read book Forbidden Fruits written by Joscelyn Godwin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-11-17 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A bold thriller filled with esoteric secrets, psychedelic rituals, blackmail, and murder • Follows American archaeologist Monica Bettlheim, her benefactor Maltese billionaire Sebastian Pinto, and Pinto’s son Rafael as they make startling discoveries about the ancient world, hallucinogenic sacraments, and modern-day crime syndicates • Reveals a secret ritual at the heart of Christianity, knowledge of which was passed on underground by Gnostics and alchemists for centuries • Explore the use of the Kykeon, the psychedelic brew of the Eleusinian mysteries, which offers those who drink it a direct experience of God Amid the European refugee crisis, with the background of Southern Europe having become the point of arrival for hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants, Monica Bettlheim, an American archaeologist, is trying to recapture her former fame. She has a mission to uncover prehistoric cultures that conventional archaeology and history both fear and deny. Her search is sponsored by an eccentric aristocrat, the larger-than-life Maltese billionaire Sebastian Pinto. On an underwater expedition off the coast of Malta, Monica finds a mysterious golden pomegranate that dates back to prehistoric times. Within it, she discovers ancient remnants of the Kykeon, the hallucinogenic sacrament of the Eleusinian mysteries, which offers those who drink it a direct experience of God. As the discovery leads to blackmail and murder, Monica uncovers a secret ritual right at the heart of Christianity, knowledge of which was passed on underground by Gnostics and alchemists for centuries. Reluctantly, Monica teams up with the elusive and troubled Rafael, Pinto’s son, who for some years has been deeply immersed in esoteric studies. Driven by the need to avenge a murder and uncover the activities of an international crime syndicate, they risk their lives by reviving the sacred ritual--and are confronted by the most terrifying revelation of all.


The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz

The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz

Author: Joscelyn Godwin

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 1991-10-01

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 1609259246

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, often looked upon as the third Rosicrucian manifesto, has an entirely different tone from the other Rosicrucian documents. Unlike the Rosicrucian manifestoes, which address the transformation of society, The Chemical Wedding is concerned with the inner transformation of the soul. It is a deeply interior work, one which asks the reader to step into its world of symbols and walk with Christian Rosenkreutz along his path of transformation. Despite its importance as a key text of the Western esoteric traditions, this is the first ever contemporary English translation of The Chemical Wedding, made especially for this edition by Joscelyn Godwin. Also included in this edition is an introduction and commentary by Adam McLean, which illuminates the transformative symbolism.


Book Synopsis The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz by : Joscelyn Godwin

Download or read book The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz written by Joscelyn Godwin and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 1991-10-01 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, often looked upon as the third Rosicrucian manifesto, has an entirely different tone from the other Rosicrucian documents. Unlike the Rosicrucian manifestoes, which address the transformation of society, The Chemical Wedding is concerned with the inner transformation of the soul. It is a deeply interior work, one which asks the reader to step into its world of symbols and walk with Christian Rosenkreutz along his path of transformation. Despite its importance as a key text of the Western esoteric traditions, this is the first ever contemporary English translation of The Chemical Wedding, made especially for this edition by Joscelyn Godwin. Also included in this edition is an introduction and commentary by Adam McLean, which illuminates the transformative symbolism.


Doctor Robert Fludd

Doctor Robert Fludd

Author: J. B. Craven

Publisher: Mandrake Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


Book Synopsis Doctor Robert Fludd by : J. B. Craven

Download or read book Doctor Robert Fludd written by J. B. Craven and published by Mandrake Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: