Art and Symbols of the Occult: Images of Power and Wisdom [Paperback]

James Wasserman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1993

In this lavishly illustrated volume, insightful commentary accompanies a spectacular collection of art rich with occult symbolism drawn from the traditions of alchemy, astrology, tarot, Kabbalah, magic, and Tantra.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... a flow and integrity that I have not seen before, and reading the text is richly satisfying. -- New Age Retailer

A large-sized lavishly produced, full-color volume. The learning is vast, the writing erudite, the introductions valuable into the various sorts of metaphysical knowledge. Written and produced with great discernment. -- The Book Reader

Gorgeous four-color artwork makes this book a work of art in itself, and astrologists, kabbalists, tarot readers, and great art appreciators will want this book for the color plates alone. And happily, there is much more. The raison d'etre of occultism is presented with a flow and integrity that I have not seen before, and reading the text is richly satisfying. -- New Age Retailer

The learning is vast, the writing erudite, the introductions valuable into the various sorts of metaphysical knowledge. -- The Book Reader

About the Author

James Wasserman, a longtime student and practitioner of the occult sciences, has authored and edited various articles and books on Western Esotericism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Destiny Books (April 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892814152
• ISBN-13: 978-0892814152
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #934,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Wasserman is a lifelong student of religion and spiritual development. His writings and editorial efforts maintain a focus on spirituality, creative mythology, secret societies, history, religion, and politics. He is a passionate advocate of individual liberty. An admirer of the teachings of Aleister Crowley, he has played a key role in numerous seminal publications of the Crowley literary corpus. A book designer by trade, Jim is the owner of Studio 31. He is married with two children.

In 2009, he participated in an address to the National Press Club with Brother Akram Elias. The occasion was the publication of Dan Brown's book The Lost Symbol. Jim's portion of the talk may be found on Youtube. In it, he expresses both the truths of esoteric symbolism and the beauty of America's Masonic heritage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QDMK_CUeP8

For more information on the author, please visit Jim's website:
www.jameswassermanbooks.com

Our Facebook page is:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Wasserman/285958821416078

Studio 31 book design and production is located at:
www.studio31.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL & INSPIRING ART & TEXT, January 31, 2001

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Art and Symbols of the Occult: Images of Power and Wisdom (Paperback)

This beautifully illustrated book deals with Astrology, Cosmology, Kabbalah, Initiation, Magic, Sexuality, Alchemy, Tarot plus Symbolist and Visionary Art. The lucid and interesting text serves as a great introduction to all these disciplines for the novice or for those already into esotericism who wish to get an authoritative overview of all these fields. A lot of the illustrations appear here in color for the first time, like Frater Achad's Cosmic Snowflake, the complete set of 22 paintings of the medieval alchemical masterpiece Splendor Solis, and Harry Smith's The Tree Of Life In The Four Worlds and Eye Of The Mysteries. Some of the many artists whose work is featured include Urbino, Leonardo da Vinci, Hieronymus Bosch, Raphael, Rembrandt, Raymond Lull, Botticelli, Poussin, William Blake, Arnold Bocklin, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Vincent van Gogh. My personal favorite works are Alex Grey's "Holy Fire" and Nicholas Roerich's "Mother of the World." Western, Eastern and Egyptian art is given equal weight and some very rare manuscript illustrations and tarot decks are reproduced. There are also portraits of Eliphas Levi, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, Aleister Crowley and Helena Blavatsky. There is a very extensive and useful bibliography of classical occult works. This is a beautiful and inspiring book that also serves as an excellent reference work.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Magic of the Occult, December 29, 2000

By 

Melanie Dante' (NYC, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art and Symbols of the Occult: Images of Power and Wisdom (Paperback)

Initially I looked at this book due to the spectacular artwork displayed within its covers. I was happily surprised that Art & Symbols is written as well as it is packaged. For the first time I experienced a sojourn through the history and present relevancy of the occult in easy to read English. What a genuine wonder! Whether a neophyte to the magical arts or an adept, this book is an essential reference in understanding the weave of the universe. It is really remarkable!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars for the Art, April 11, 2004

By 

B. Erickson "boycorrupted" (Overland Park, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Art and Symbols of the Occult: Images of Power and Wisdom (Paperback)

If you're at all interested in the variety of topics generally included under the heading of "Occult" - Magic, Alchemy, Qabalah, Astrology, et al - then this book ought to occupy a place on your shelves. "Art and Symbols of the Occult" contains the best color reproductions I've seen of such precious gems as the lovely 16th-century "Splendor Solis" of Salomon Trismosin, the fantastically complex mystic diagrams of Jacob Boehme, several complete sets of Tarot cards both medieval and modern, and all sorts of other abstruse odds and ends. I've referred to it constantly for the exquisite beauty and mystery of its plates.

However, like most "picture-books" of this sort, the text is fairly superficial and insipid. I have to respectfully disagree with the other reviewers on this point. But nobody is really going to buy this book for the text anyway, so it's not a big deal. If you're interested in these subjects, you probably already own superior text-books.