RMMC6J3T–Christian Symbols Arms of Christ supported by an angel Quainton Parish Church
RMMC6HT6–Stage Magic - Magic Rope. Magician puts the end of a rope into a bowl. The rope will not come out and even hold the bowl, until he commands it to let go.
RMMC6NT3–The ghost of one of Lytton's former mistresses returns to point ot the imminent time of his death. Nineteenth century lithograph.
RMMC6EBA–Greek Mythology, Bacchus. Bas relief of the god of wine, Bacchus. Set into the wall of a modern house near Taormina, Sicily
RMMC6FTM–Statue of pedlar-boy and his cat, the cat holding his 'wares list' in its mouth. In the formal gardens of the Residency, Wurzburg, Germany.
RMMC6JAJ–EASTER ISLAND - One of the upright giant statues near the ancient volcanic quarry on Easter Island
RMMC6NX2–Detail from Joy of Living Fountain in University Square, Rostock, Germany
RMMC884F–Fantasy - the creation of earth.
RMMC6KD8–Planets Mars Jupiter and Saturn Back lit artwork
RMMC6MAN–DEATH - After Death Experience Those who have 'died' and recover, usually record an experience of travelling from the earth towards the heavens by way of a tunnel of light, which bridges the eartly light and the post-mortem experience
RMMC886N–Green Man on a capital in the cloisters of the church at Ripoll (north east of Barcelona). There are several such Green Man images on the site
RMMC6FTK–Sixteenth century enamel 'Beat the Cat', in the Bargello Museum, Florence. For details, see 'The Secret Lore of the Cat', Fred Gettings, 1989
RMMC6M57–Iridology. The iridologist and herbalist, Barbara Penny, taking photographs of the eye of a pupil as an aid to iridological diagnosis.
RMMC6FJ5–PLANETS - JUPITER Mediaeval image of Jupiter from a Latin translation of Albumasar, circa 1520. The copyist has made a mistake, for the Arabic original image was of Mars, with the decapitated head
RMMC6H7N–TAROT CARDS - THE DE LAURENCE DECK The fourth set of four cards of the De Laurence deck of the 22 Major pack of the Tarot: the Death card, Temperance, The Devil and The Tower. These are probably the first esoteric Tarot cards to be designed specifically for use in the United States of America. This series of cards is an adaptation of the designs drawn for the Order of the Golden Dawn by Pamela Colman Smith, under the supervision of A.E. Waite, by the American Rosicrucian, L.W. de Laurence, and were published in his work, The Illustrated Key To the Tarot, 1918.
RMMC6K8Y–Three Buddhist Monks in the sacred precinct of the Bodhi Tree Sri Lanka
RMMC6HGA–Masonic Temple in Washington DC. The Atrium of the Temple. The floor is paved with Tavernelle marble and the Doric columns are of green Windsor Granite.
RMMC6NJ7–Fantasy distortion of the demon Lilith, 'the first wife of Adam.' The original watercolour drawing (also in the Charles Walker Collection) is one of a series of costume designs executed by Fay Pomerance for an opera-ballet dealing with the theme of Redemption.
RMMC878F–HISTORY The Polish nobleman, Mazeppa, bound naked on the back of a wild horse in the Ukraine. Mazeppa, thus punished for an affair, was rescued by peasants. Illustration to the poem by Byron (1819).
RMMC6FBB–WITCHCRAFT - Page from a witchcraft manual, the images derived from the demonic and alchemical tradition. Manuscript 'The Shadow of the Golden Fire' in Keighley Public Library
RMMC84YD–The demon Admodiel, with his sigils. Lithographic plate [hand coloured] from Schiebel's 'Faustbuch' of c. 1860.
RMMC6KY8–Graphology. The study of handwriting. Medieval Astrological script
RMMC6G4X–PREDICTIONS - SIBYLS - SIBYL OF DELPHI The Sibylline Oracles are one of the great curiosities of the ancient world. Certain women, initiated in the Mystery Schools, developed the power to predict the future. Many of the 'oracles' delivered by the Sibyls were written down, in Greek hexametric verse, and preserved as sacred literature in a special priestly college. The Cumean sibyl's utterances were written on palm leaves. The oldest Sibyl is that of Erythraea, in Asia Minor - her prophecies dealt with the story of Helen and the Trojan War. The ancient school of Sibylline prophecy came to a
RMMC6FJW–PLANETS - NEPTUNE Head of Neptune, showered in water. Detail of the Neptune Fountain in front of the Library of Congress, Washington, DC
RMMC6NHG–Fold out plate, with images designed to accommodate folding pockets, from William Law's 'Jakob Behmen, the Teutonic Philosopher'. The Rosicrucian element may be traced in the roses towards the foot of the plate, and in the early use of the planetary forms of the chakras. The astrological element may be traced in the zodiacal sigils around the femal Macrocosmic image, whilst the Cabbalistic element may be seen in the Four Worlds, depicted in the male fold-out.
RMMC85G9–Rosicrucian. The Rosicrucian impulse was set in motion towards the end of the 16th century, with the aim of reforming Christianity, and imbuing it with the arcane knowledge of alchemy, astrology and cabbalistic knowledge. This fantasy picture illustrates the union of the Cross with Cabbalistic lore (the esoteric teaching of the Jews, here symbolized by the image of the Sephirothic Man), which became inextricably linked with the Rosicrucian impulse - usually under the name of Christian-Cabbala.
RMMC6FC3–DOWSING - Archaeological Dowser exploring the earth and water currents in the Druid Stone Circle at Masham, North Yorkshire
RMMC6H95–MAGIC SYMBOLS - THE AZOTH AND THE PENTAGRAM Magic symbols drawn up with specific reference to a study of the secret design of the Tarot deck. [Left] The Azoth, or monogram of Hermetic Truth, is a play on a combination of four Greek letters spelling out Azoch, and three Hebrew letters (one of which is from a secret alphabet), spelling out the word Azoth (the three-armed sigil at the bottom of the design is the letter Zain, the equivalent of Z, from a Hebrew magical alphabet). The central letter is the Hebew aleph, the equivalent of the letter A. [Right] The Seal of the Microcosm. The five-p
RMMC6GX5–HOROSCOPES - STUDENT WORK-SHEETS. The horoscope of the Russian dictator Stalin, born with Capricorn Ascendant and Sun. The photographs are from the files of the Russian police
RMMC6H4N–THEOSOPHY - ASTRAL BODIES - THE ASTRAL BODY One of the spiritual bodies of man, as revealed by higher clairvoyance.From the 1920 edition of Charles Leadbeater's, Man Visible and Invisible. Examples of Different Types of Men as Seen by Means of Trained Clairvoyance. The Astral Body of the Scientific type, or cold thinker. Little devotion is shown, but the bright yellow semi-ovoids indicate an almost abnormal development of the intellectual abilities. The green suggests the presence of jealousy, but anger is not as marked as in the undeveloped man.
RMMC6G5M–DISASTERS - PLAGUE Flight of townspeople into the country, to escape from the plague of 1630. Broadside, A Looking-Glass for Town and Country. From John Richard Green, A Short History of the English People, 1902 edn.
RMMC85C7–The haunted castle of Eileen Donan, in Scotland.
RMMC6HX1–Stage Magic - Decapitation Trick. The magician shows his assistant how the blade slides down the hole in the guillotine.
RMMC86GE–GARGOYLE Medieval gargoyle on the facade of St Sulpice, Diest, Belgium
RMMC86A2–Wheel of Fortune, with one rising, one falling, and Fortune herself blindfold. Image on facade of a house in the Swiss town of Shaffhausen
RMMC6NT2–GHOSTS - HAUNTINGS - GHOST OF WOMAN IN GARDEN
RMMC6FN1–Zodiac signs - Cancer - Bas relief of the sign Cancer, from the zodiacal series on the astrological porch of the Cathedral at Amiens. Early fourteenth century.
RMMC6KT6–Masks - Masked Witch looking at a manufactured 'man'' or Golem in a bottle'
RMMC6EY5–OBSERVATORIES - Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, c1723. Huge solar clock called the Narivalya Yantra
RMMC6FHR–Eclipse of the Sun/. Colour wood engraving in Agnes Giberne's Sun, Moon and Stars, 1881
RMMC887A–CHRISTIAN Image of blindfolded figure in Strasbourg Cathedral
RMMC6KDM–Buddhism Lion carving in temple precinct Anuradhapura Ancient City Sri lanka
RMMC6FHJ–Eclipse of the Sun on August 7, 1869. Lithographic plate from Herbert W Morris, The Celestial Symbol Interpreted, 1883
RMMC6JJ7–ALCHEMY - ROSARIUM PHILOSOPHORUM. Figure 4 from the 1550 edition of the 'Rosarium Philosophorum', one of the most important of alchemical texts. The naked solar king and the naked lunar queen conjoined by the Holy Spirit bathing in the sacred waters
RMMC6JPE–OCCULTISTS - Friedrich Antonio Mesmer (1733-1815), the originator of the hypnotic system of so-called Animal Magnetism, which took his name
RMMC6FFY–Levitation. Kalanag (Helmut Schreiber, 1903-1963) German international illusionist, levitates his wife Gloria in a spectular scene from his show 'Sim Sala Bim'
RMMC6F2W–AMULETS The Orphanus Jewel, a most powerful amuletic jewel (which may have been a large opal) set in the German Imperial Crown. From Johann de Cuba's 'Hortus Sanitatis', 1483
RMMC87CW–DEMONS - FAUST - MARGARET Margaret making supplication to the Mater Dolorosa. In the Retsch's Series of Twenty-Six Outlines, Illustrative of Goethe's Tragedy of Faust engraved by Henry Moses, in 1820, it is engraving 17. [Engraving No. 20 in the series, Umrisse Goethe's Faust. Gezeichnet von Moritz Retsch, 1836.] There were two distinct early editions of the Retsch series of drawings for Goethe's play, Faust. The finest was Umrisse Goethe's Faust. Gezeichnet von Moritz Retsch, 1836 edition, printed in both Stuttgart and Augsburg. There were 29 plates in this edition, for the first part
RMMC6EDH–Green Man clothed in leaves and with the staff from which he sprang Mid 19th century reprint of the 17th century amphlet Jewitts Art among the Ballad-Mongers
RMMC87AA–SEANCE - LEVITATION Flash photo showing levitation of seance table during the Warrick-Deane seances of 31 July, 1923. There is a corresponding simultaneous shot.
RMMC6H9C–HAUNTINGS AND GHOST STORIES Hand-coloured lithographic illustration by Lynd Ward to Wilkie Collins classical haunting story, The Haunted Hotel, circa 1935.
RMMC6J9E–MONSTERS. The pig-headed lady. ú40,000 offered to any man of quality who would marry her. No takers. From Fairburn, 1815
RMMC6GB5–MASONRY Engraving by the American Mason, J. Curtis, and published by John Cole (probably in Philadelphia) in 1801. based on a similar 'mystic Portrait' published by Arlingham, in London, 1754. The original image was intended as a parody of Masonry - an assembled Mason, constructed from certain of the symbols used in the Masonic Lodge: for example, his arms are made from the Square, his legs from the two pillars of Boaz and Jachin.
RMMC84YX–The demon Andras, riding his wolf, and carrying the sword with which he usually appears. He is one of the 72 spirits of Solomon. After a print from Collin de Plancy, 'Dictionnaire Infernal', 1863.
RMMC6NB5–Angels Cherubim one of the cherubim 10th century mosaic in the narthex of Saint Marks Venice Italy
RMMC6GDW–ANIMALS Monkey in Sri Lanka
RMMC6KE5–Buddhism Statue of Buddha with various symbols including the elephant symbols at the foot of the stairs leading to the Swayanbhunath Temple Nepal
RMMC6P7X–The hand of glory was a lighted candle set in the palm of the hand severed from the body of a hanged murderer. It was supposed to confer invisibility on the holder. The hand was supposed to be cut from the body of a hanged murderer. It was used as a candle-holder by thieves and 'night-workers', for the one that carried it [lighted] was said to be invisible.
RMMC854M–Horoscopes - William Lilly Horoscope of 17th century English astrologer, William Lilly. From John Gadbury, collectio Geniturarum: or, A Collection of Nativities in CL Genitures (1662)
RMMC6H03–HOROSCOPES - Tibetan horoscope
RMMC6K8R–The sacred Bodhi Tree over two thousand years old in the sacred site of Anuradapura Sri Lanka
RMMC6NM9–Fresco, painted on rock face of the Lion Rock at Sigriya. The subject is a so-called 'Cloud Maiden'. Painted in the fifth or sixth century AD.
RMMC86WE–PREDICTIONS AND PROPHECY Proteus, a marine demi god possessed the gift of prophesy, for those who could catch him. He could change into any shape, to escape. From the 1972 edition of Jacopo Guarana's Oracoli, Auguri, Aruspici, Sibille, indovinia della Religione Pagana
RMMC87P6–Astrological Sites Parma Baptistry Libra free standing statue of zodiacal sign with corresponding month attributed to Antelami Thirteenth Century
RMMC86H7–Torture Stoning to death The occultist Raymond Lully (1235-1315) being stoned to death by Muslims at Bona, in Algeria. After a woodcut of 1515
RMMC6G7N–MONTHS - MARCH - PISCES & ARIES Woodcut depicting labourers repairing fences and ditches. The top roundel is the zodiac image for Pisces, with three fishes, in place of the traditional two; the bottom roundel is the image of Aries, the Ram. From Le Grant Kalendrier & compost des Bergiers avecq leur Astrologie, circa 1500.
RMMC863P–MAORI A traditional Tekoteko (carved figure) depicting a warrior on the palisade at Whakarewarewa, Rotorua
RMMC6MHA–SAINTS - PATRICK Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, driving the snakes (and, it seems, a frog) from Ireland. He was of British birth, and in his youth spent six years as the slave of Irish pirates, which explains his poor education. By 435 AD, he was working in Ireland, having settled at Armagh, from whence he began his missionary work. Process print, from Alban Butler's The Lives of The Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principles Saints, edition of circa 1928.
RMMC6GWC–EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY - BULL The Egyptian Apis, the bull-god, along with other theriomorphic and other theriocephalic gods of the ancient Egyptians. From an 18th century engraving
RMMC867T–Sand paintings (now fixed on sandstone) of the Navaho Indians. From the Navaho reservations, near Mexican Hat
RMMC87CD–DEMONS - FAUST - MEPHISTOPHELES - MARGARET Still intoxicated with the secret liquor, Faust sees Margaret in the street, and (under the influence of the liquor) thinks she is the most beautiful woman in the world. He insists that Mephistopheles obtain her for his nefarious purposes. Mephistophelese says that she has just come from church, where she was absolved of all her sins. As an innocent creature, he has no power over her, and it is not possible to take her by force. Faust insists that she must be his, and in bed with him by night time. Faust then orders Mephistopheles to find a suita
RMMC86HF–Torture Bodkins, or pricking tools - the two on the left illustrating the principle of the retracting blade, used in the false revealing (or pricking) of witches. After Scot's 'The Discovery of Witchcraft'
RMMC6EBR–ZODIACS - TWELVE SIGNS Zodiac of twelve images, with corresponding sigils, arranged in four registers (top) Aries, Taurus, Gemini, (second row) Cancer, Leo, Virgo (third row), Libra, Scoprio, Sagittarius, and (fourth row), Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Designed circa 1920.
RMMC86C8–The goddess Isis beneath the giant legs of Rameses II, in the Temple at Luxor, Egypt
RMMC6G24–ANIMALS - bears in Basle, Switzerland
RMMC6EHK–SPIRITUALISM, SEANCES AND SLATE WRITING - EGLINGTON Lithograph showing the method of obtaining spirit writing on two slates, held over the sÚance table. 'The actual production of the (spirit) writing without visible agency has also been witnessed', and in almost every case the sound of writing being done by an invisible agency is heard during the sÚances. From John S. Farmer, Twixt Two Worlds. A Narrative of the Life and Work of William Eglington, 1886.
RMMC6N42–Easter Island Birdman Mythology Part of the huge dwellings on the rim of the volcano Rano Kau marking the site called Orongo where the rituals of the birdman were observed
RMMC6N5F–Fairy Stories The Giant When he reached the highest point he found a great giant by Anne Anderson for The Valiant Little Tailor 1933 edition
RMMC86YN–CABBALA 'The First Hour of the Night' - illustration from Jewish cabbalistic legend, by Fay Pomerance, circa 1959
RMMC6HBB–TEMPLE OF MUSIC A vast edifice in praise of the Pythagorean harmonics, intellectually expressed in ratios and mathematics, but sounded as music. An excellent account of this complex figure is given by Joscelyn Godwin, Robert Fludd. Hermetic Philosopher and Surveyor of Two Worlds, 1991 edn., pp. 78-9. The engraving is from From Robert Fludd, Utriusque Cosmi Historia (De Naturae Simia Seu Technica...) 1619 edn.
RMMC8833–Witchcraft. Wiccan member naked on an altar. The skull is placed to symbolize the idea that death is access to another life.
RMMC6JD2–MONSTERS. Life-size model of the head of Dr Frankenstein's ever-popular monster, created by injecting the electric life force into bones and tissues. the model is in a priate collection, but permission for exclusive use has been granted to CW
RMMC6GJH–Tarot Cards-Majo Arcana- The Parisian Tarot. The zero card. The Fool, and Card 1. The Juggler. Two cards from a Major Arcana picture Tarot, probably designed in an archaizing style in loose imitation of the Rosicrucian deck designed by Pamela Coleman Smith, alongside A.E.Waite, and various earlier decks, such as that published by Encausse (Papus) in The Tarot of the Bohemians at the end of the 19th century, post 1905, but earlier than 1912. The name Parisian Tarot was given by the owner of the deck - it might however be called the Tau Tarot, from the intriguing letter Tau at the head of each
RMMC6PBR–Ritual dance by wiccan group, over a pentagrammatic circle, with the Master in the centre of the dance circle. The image has been twirled to add atmospheric drama to the scene.
RMMC6J78–Spirit Photos - Mumler. William Mumler's earliest spirit pictures were taken in 1861, but the originals are lost. This example is of Moses Dow with an unidentified extra.
RMMC6GNJ–PALMISTRY - TAISNIERS. Portrait of the occultist and chiromant (palmist) Johannes Taisniers, from the frontispiece of his book on palmistry, Opus Mathematicus, 1632
RMMC866C–CHRISTIAN Consecration of an image Priests conducting a ritual by which a statue of the Virgin and Child is consecrated. From Bernard Picart, Customs of the World
RMMC86WM–PREDICTIONS AND PROPHECY The Libyan Sybil. From the 1972 Venetian edition, with engravings based on the designs of Jacopo Guarana's Oracoli, Auguri, Aruspici, Sibille, indovinia della Religione Pagana
RMMC6MW6–Tarot Cards Major Arcana The Parisian Tarot
RMMC6PAR–Ritual wiccan dance on pentagrammatic circle, the participants being sky-clad, and masked.
RMMC8682–NEWGRANGE (KNOWTH) - Irish Prehistoric Site. About 3,000 BC. The great passageway into the cairn. View from entrance towards back stone
RMMC6NG0–Painting, 'Tree of Life' by Fay Pomerance, painted 1980. Private Collection.
RMMC6NF6–Easter Island. Statue, with traces of carvings on body.
RMMC85NJ–GRIMOIRE Seals from 'The Original Key to the Books of Moses'. Top left: used with chameleon powder to resurrect treasure. Bottom left: on skin of frog, to make oneself invisible. others, against disease
RMMC6GT9–ASTROLOGY - Astrologer with a client. Title-page illustration to John Melton's 'The Astrologasters', or Figure-Caster. 1620
RMMC6GN5–SWASTIKA Sauwastika as a Buddhist symbol, on a silken robe embroidery (19th century) formerly used in the Chinese court. Private collection, Hong Kong
RMMC84XX–Incubus seated ont he body of a sleeping woman. Inferior print of circa 1828 by William Raddon, inspired by Fuseli's painting, 'The Nightmare.'
RMMC8664–CHRISTIAN Statue portraying charity, on the finial of the tomb of a former mason, Littleborough churchyard
RMMC87HB–The serpent-tailed female supporter in this device is the Lamia. The fact that her tail is in the fountain is intended to symbolize the fact that she represents an element in the inner souls of man. From the 'Dispensarium' of Nicolia Propositus.
RMMC87J3–Sky-clad witch with skull so placed as to link it with birth - the symbolism behind the ritual involving the notion that death is itself a birth into another world.
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