Author: Patrick Harpur
Publisher: Blue Angel Gallery
ISBN: 9780980286588
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 524
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In 1952 a country clergyman called Smith begins his tortuous quest for the Holy Grail of alchemy - the Philosophers' Stone which transmutes base metal to gold and confers immortality. As he pits himself against the bizarre perils of the Great Work, it becomes clear that his arcane transformations are as much spiritual as chemical. Gradually the shadow of alchemy falls over those around him; a young girl whose sudden pregnancy is a local scandal; Janet, trapped in a barren marriage; and Robert who pursues his own quest for the legendary blue glass of Chartres. Thirty years later, Eileen comes to live in Smith's vicarage. In the medieval cellar she unearths a hidden manuscript and begins to read of secret fire and mysterious prime matter, a green lion and a raven's head, a fatal conjunction of king and queen, a descent into Blackness and putrefaction. As she penetrates farther into the alchemical labyrinth, she is haunted both by her own history and by that of her neighbours, the menacing Mrs Zetterberg and the disfigured Pluto - and, finally, by the enigma of Smith himself. In separate but interwoven accounts, Smith and Eileen strive towards the one thing necessary for the Work's success - the great Secret guarded by the paradoxical Mercurius, who leads them to the zero point where Heaven is wedded to Earth and the miraculous Stone appears at the intersection of time and eternity. By reconstructing a highly sophisticated but almost forgotten world-view, Mercurius restores to us our own spiritual heritage which, rooted in the alchemists' dark retorts, will perhaps flower in the light of the future.
Author: Caiseal Mór
Publisher: Blue Angel Gallery
ISBN: 9780980398311
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 472
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Book Description
The noble quest for the Holy Grail lay at the very heart of the Order of the Knights Templar. What could have inspired a brotherhood of warrior-monks to search the four corners of the world for such a thing? Forget, for a moment, all those clever Christianised diversions involving secret genealogies, clandestine inter-breeding and blood royal. It's true; all Grail romances speak of a woman who guards the sacred vessel. Some claim the Grail preserves a royal house; a few hint that the vessel itself is a woman. But the Grail has many other attributes. If you read the tales carefully you'll find that whoever possesses it can scry the future. It was explicitly spoken of as an actual artefact that can bestow limitless wealth and immortality. If you dig deep enough you'll discover the Grail existed long before the Christians and their holy wars. Alexander the Great conquered the East looking for it. Indeed, the Grail is a mystical object so ancient, some stories claim it was uncovered when the Persians founded the great city of Persepolis. That's the Holy Grail the Knights Templar travelled near and far to find. On the borders of the Forest of Keak a mighty host of Templar warriors is assembling. At their head is a ruthless warlord who has devoted his life to the Quest. Garamond de Lusignon once had the Grail within his reach but it was snatched away from under his nose by a band of audacious thieves. It's taken him twenty years to track them down and in all that time the fire of his rage has never diminished. He knows exactly where it's concealed and who kept it from him. Eager for revenge, as much as to claim the Prize, Garamond sends his lieutenant to the Castle of Montsalvasch. He offers an ultimatum to the noblemen who rule the forest. Surrender the Grail or suffer the consequences of a holy war. Give up the Treasure or every living soul within the forest will be branded a heretic and put to the sword.
Author: John Clute
Publisher: Gateway
ISBN: 1473219825
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 486
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Book Description
For more than 50 years John Clute has been reviewing science fiction and fantasy. Look at the Evidence is a collection of reviews from a wide variety of sources - including Interzone, the New York Review of Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Weekly - about the most significant literatures of the twenty-first century: science fiction, fantasy and horror: the literatures Clute argues should be recognized as the central modes of fantastika in our times. It covers the period between 1987 and 1992.
Author: Patrick Harpur
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1583943455
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 258
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Book Description
In The Secret Tradition of the Soul, author Patrick Harpur argues that answers to life’s most difficult questions—the meaning of life, the nature of self, and the existence of an afterlife—can be met by a visionary tradition that runs through Western culture, from Greek philosophy and Renaissance alchemy to Romantic poetry and modern depth psychology. This hidden tradition, according to Harpur, places our soul at the center of the universe and emphasizes imagination, the collective unconscious, and an “otherworld” or afterlife; above all, it teaches us how to know ourselves and how to recover a sense of meaning largely lost today. Harpur shows how this tradition drives the literature of otherworld journeys, from the flights of shamans and the dreams of psychoanalysis to the mystic imagination of Romantic poets and the visions of those having near-death experiences. The Secret Tradition of the Soul is the first book to gather together all the threads of the soul tradition and weave them into a bigger, clearer picture, presenting a worldview at once ancient and revolutionary. About the Imprint: EVOLVER EDITIONS promotes a new counterculture that recognizes humanity's visionary potential and takes tangible, pragmatic steps to realize it. EVOLVER EDITIONS explores the dynamics of personal, collective, and global change from a wide range of perspectives. EVOLVER EDITIONS is an imprint of North Atlantic Books and is produced in collaboration with Evolver, LLC.
Author: Alexandra Lembert
Publisher: Galda & Wilch
ISBN: 9783931397524
Category : Alchemy
Languages : en
Pages : 278
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Author: William Blake
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan
ISBN:
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 25
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Book Description
Step into the visionary world of William Blake with his provocative work, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell." This groundbreaking text challenges conventional notions of good and evil, inviting readers to explore the intricate relationship between opposing forces in a quest for enlightenment. As Blake unfolds his revolutionary ideas, you’ll be confronted with the radical proposition that heaven and hell are not opposing realms but rather complementary aspects of the human experience. Are you prepared to question everything you thought you knew about morality and existence?Through a blend of poetry and vivid imagery, Blake dismantles the barriers between the sacred and the profane, urging readers to embrace their passions and desires as essential to the divine. His eloquent verses resonate with the pulse of life itself, capturing the essence of human struggle and aspiration. What if the key to understanding our true selves lies in embracing the chaos of our emotions? Blake's work compels you to acknowledge that love and sin are intertwined in the dance of life.Immerse yourself in the rich symbolism and innovative language of this iconic piece, where each line offers a new perspective on the eternal battle between light and darkness. Blake's brilliance challenges you to rethink the boundaries of art and philosophy. Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey that blurs the lines between heaven and hell? This is your opportunity to delve into a masterpiece that has inspired countless thinkers and artists.Seize the chance to own a copy of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" now, and let Blake's visionary insights guide you towards a deeper understanding of the world and your place within it!
Author: Randall A. Clack
Publisher: Praeger
ISBN:
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 176
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Book Description
From the Middle Ages to the close of the 17th century, alchemy was fundamental to Western culture, as scores of experimenters sought to change lead into gold. Though its significance declined with the rise of chemistry, alchemy continued to captivate the imagination of writers and its images still appear in modern creative works. This book examines the literary representation of alchemical theory and the metaphor of alchemical regeneration in the works of Edward Taylor, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Margaret Fuller. While Taylor used alchemical metaphors to illustrate the redeeming grace of God upon the soul, these same metaphors were used by Poe, Hawthorne, and Fuller to depict a broader concept of redemption. These later writers used alchemical imagery to describe both the regeneration of the individual and the possible transformation of society. For Poe, alchemy became a metaphor for the transforming power of imagination; for Hawthorne, it became a means of representing the redeeming power of love; for Fuller, it figured the reconciliation of gender opposites. Thus these four American writers incorporated the idea of regeneration in their works, and the tropes and metaphors of the medieval alchemists provided a fascinating way of imagining the transformative process.
Author: Brian M. Stableford
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 0415974607
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 758
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Author: Patrick Harpur
Publisher: Blue Angel Gallery
ISBN: 9780980286526
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 394
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Book Description
Is there any place for the ancient myths of our ancestors in modern times? Could their shadowy presence in our common imagination be more influential than we realise? Across the globe many societies still believe in an Otherworld of spirits, gods and daimons, which the West has banished to the unconscious mind and now only visits in dreams. Yet this visionary tradition continues to subvert the rational universe, erupting out of the shadows in times of intense religious and philosophical transition. In his dazzling history of the imagination, Patrick Harpur links together fields as far apart as Greek philosophy and depth psychology, Renaissance magic and tribal ritual, Romantic poetry and the ecstasy of the shaman, to trace how myths have been used to make sense of the world. He uncovers that tradition which alchemists imagined as a Golden Chain of initiates, who passed their mysterious 'secret fire' down through the ages. As this inspiring book shows, the secret of this perennial wisdom is of an imaginative insight: a simple way of seeing that re-enchants our existence and restores us to our own true selves.
Author: Carisa Mellado & Michele-lee Phelan
Publisher: Blue Angel Gallery
ISBN: 9780980398397
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 124
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