Alchemy & Mysticism (Klotz) (Paperback)

~ Alexander Roob (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A fantastical journey through the pictorial world of alchemy and mysticism, the Cabbala and magic, freemasons and Rosicrusians. This unique selection of illustrations with commentaries and source texts guides us on a fascinating journey through the representations of the secret arts.

About the Author

Alexander Roob studied painting at the University of Fine Arts, Berlin. From 2000 to 2002, he was a professor at the University of Fine Arts, Hamburg. He has been teaching at the Academy of Fine Arts, Stuttgart since 2002. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

---

Product Details Paperback: 711 pages Publisher: Taschen (July 1, 2003) Language: English ISBN-10: 3822815144 ISBN-13: 978-3822815144 Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 2.1 inches Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #461,948 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #96 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Mysticism

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	73% buy the item featured on this page: Alchemy & Mysticism (Klotz) 4.5 out of 5 stars (13)
	8% buy Alchemy and Mysticism: The Hermetic Museum (Klotz) 5.0 out of 5 stars (10)
	7% buy Alchemy and Mysticism (Hermetic Cabinet) $7.99
	6% buy Real Alchemy: A Primer of Practical Alchemy 4.9 out of 5 stars (10) $12.89

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.  alchemy(5) hermetic(3) mysticism(3) art(2) occult(1) Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews 5 star:  (9) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.5 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 34 of 35 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking Beauty, May 28, 2003 By  Amanda Chesworth (New Mexico, US) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This is an extraordinary collection of art - comprehensive and diverse, spanning a significant portion of human history. Brief descriptions and explanatory text are sprinkled about but the greatest pleasure, in my opinion, derives from the gorgeous reproductions of art related to alchemy and mysticism. I actually own two copies of this book. One that I peruse regularly and another that I shall keep as a spare should my first wear out. It is an excellent gift - very uplifting and immensely inspiring. The subject of alchemy has been somewhat cheapened in our time - reduced to a few basic - often misrepresented - ideas and thrown about by simple minds with incoherent ideas. Few people have encountered the breadth of the subject and the contributions it has made to human civilizations. The inspiration it has provided artists and scientists is immense and this book captures quite a bit of this significance. The author neither advocates existing belief in alchemy and mysticism, nor denies it. It is a historical perspective - largely relayed through imagery - celebrating the great beauty of the subject and the complexities it once contained. 37 of 42 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Short version of the original book, August 13, 2005 By  Dragan (Australia) - See all my reviews This review is from: Alchemy & Mysticism (Icons) (Paperback) Why do I give this book only 2 stars? I don't agree with the way this book is marketed. Watch out for ordering this book, as there are two books of the same title, author and publisher. What's the difference? One of the books has the word 'icons' on it and has only 192 pages from the original book. The original book has 712 pages. Check that the ISBN's match for what you are after. I made the mistake of buying this book from a site that did not list the page numbers and went off the title, publisher, author and picture on the front cover. Since first writing this review, I have now returned to say that I have the original 712 paged book and am very happy with it. When it comes to a book like this, why settle for second best? 18 of 19 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars O chestnut-tree, great-rooted blossomer..., December 7, 2004 By  Myron Makewater "redcrosseknight" (Laramie) - See all my reviews This is a beautiful book, a detailed historical examination of the alchemy trope and its major themes. The emphasis is on the visual arts (great selections here), but literature, philosophy, and comparative religion also get a good shake. I would have liked a more detailed analysis of music and dance, but the book is already huge. The pictures are well-chosen and well-reproduced, and tell a fascinating story of an ideas percolation across Europe, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. The text is also quite a prize; one example of surprising insight: Roob observes that Joyce drew a parallel between Blake's four Zoas and the Gunas of classical Indian thought, while demonstrating through Indian images and Blake's illustrations how Joyce could connect the dots. There's plenty of Blake here and a good squirt of Gurdjieff, too. A thought on the relationship between alchemy and mysticism to get you going: "It is not a question of 'getting there' or 'being there'; the Tantric tradition speaks of being here. It speaks of transmutation and the analogy of alchemistic practice is used a great deal. For exxample, the existence of lead is not rejected but lead is transmuted into gold. You do not have to change its metallic quality at all; you must simply transmute it" (Chogyam Trungpa, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, p.219).		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful i picked up the full length version of this book off of clearance a while back and i must say it was one of the best books i have ever purchased. Read more Published 3 months ago by Gift Card Recepient 4.0 out of 5 stars symbolism, I'm an artist and have a large collection of reference books. This is one of them,lots of good quality images. Terrific value. Published 23 months ago by Helanne 5.0 out of 5 stars Alchemy and Mysticism A thick book of many pictures all very fascinating and informative. Great for a study group or bconversation starter. Published on October 28, 2007 by Evert Veldhuis 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Quality Book This book is full of hard to find alchemical art. If you try to understand the book you will most likely get lost in the alchemical labyrinth, but you will not... Read more Published on December 12, 2006 by Espen Gaarder Haug 5.0 out of 5 stars Alchemy & Mysticism: The Hermetic Museum This book is a most excellent read for anyone who has an understanding of Spiritual Alchemy. It is fully illustrated with rare material which is extremely informative. Read more Published on November 10, 2006 by Serpentis 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic collection of mystical and alchemical art If you love the esoteric symbolism and art associated with alchemy then you are going to love this book. Read more Published on October 4, 2005 by musicfan 5.0 out of 5 stars I Would Give This 10 Stars If I Could! This has got to be one of the greatest collections of Hermetic, Mystical and Alchemical images between two covers. Read more Published on February 1, 2005 by M. Hori 5.0 out of 5 stars One of my all time favorite books This book literally leapt off the shelf at me one day while I was in the bookstore. I wasn't into alchemy or mysticism or anything at the time. Read more Published on January 5, 2005 by Timothy Boucher 4.0 out of 5 stars A Museum should have better reproductions. High praise that somebody said she owned two copies, one as a spare. I agree that this is a nice book to have as a reference, and I'm sure it must be the largest collection of... Read more Published on April 3, 2004 by B. Erickson 3.0 out of 5 stars dPhilc's Review This is mainly a collection of prints. Each print appears to be well captioned. There is some expose of the ideas behind alchemy and mysticism, without giving too much away. Read more Published on January 8, 2002 by dPhilc Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

This product's forum Discussion Replies Latest Post No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   Guidelines Active discussions in related forums Discussion Replies Latest Post christianity Can you please tell me why Homosexuality is accepted with our society? I need to understand it more clearly... (NO HARM INTENDED) 667 9 seconds ago religion Peace Is Not Possible Among Apocalyptic Religions. 11 41 seconds ago religion Does the Bilbe REALLY Have Any Original Moral Messages or Lessons? 32 3 minutes ago religion Amazon Religion Forum's Most Influential Poster for 2009 1242 4 minutes ago christianity I'm a Southern Baptist minister and I embrace the Book of Mormon 289 4 minutes ago christianity Why Catholics Need Christ 7124 7 minutes ago art looking for views on beauty 16 1 day ago Search Customer Discussions Search all Amazon discussions

The Alchemy community Latest activity 2 days ago 847 customers have contributed 658 products, 48 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Mysticism community Latest activity 28 minutes ago 2,256 customers have contributed 2,148 products, 173 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Art community Latest activity 21 minutes ago 10,478 customers have contributed 11,198 products, 830 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums alchemy (2 discussions) art (38 discussions) christianity (1023 discussions) hermetic mysticism (5 discussions) religion (1023 discussions) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Listmania!

The Greatest Things: A list by Morton Scelsi "mfgs"   My favorite Taschen books: A list by W. Creswell "Crackdog"   Cabinet of Curiosities: A list by gristler Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

The Mystic Sun - The Gold and Black - The Rose Window: A guide by Avant-Captain_Nemo   distill the Elixir: A guide by Joel Krauser   start learning alchemy: A guide by Joshua Helmeke Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Arts & Photography > History & Criticism
• Books > Arts & Photography > Instructional & How-To > Drawing
• Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Mysticism
• Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Mysticism
• Books > Religion & Spirituality > Occult > Alchemy
• Books > Religion & Spirituality > Occult > Magic

---

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:
Christian mysticism
Drawing & drawings
History of art / art & design styles
Religious subjects depicted in art
Modern period, c 1500 onwards
c 1000 CE to c 1500
Art
New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit
ART / General
Body, Mind & Spirit / Magick Studies
General
Magick Studies
Mysticism
History - Romanticism
Fine Arts / Art History


i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

› View and edit your browsing history

Get to Know Us Careers Investor Relations Press Releases Amazon and Our Planet Make Money with Us Sell on Amazon Join Associates Self-publish with Us › See all Let Us Help You Shipping Rates & Policies Amazon Prime Returns Help

Canada | China | France | Germany | Japan | United Kingdom  And don't forget: Amazon Windowshop | AmazonWireless | Askville | Audible | DPReview | Endless | IMDb | Shopbop | SoundUnwound | Warehouse Deals by Amazon | Zappos Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 711 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822815144
• ISBN-13: 978-3822815144
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #461,948 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #96 in

  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Mysticism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking Beauty, May 28, 2003

By	Amanda Chesworth (New Mexico, US) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an extraordinary collection of art - comprehensive and diverse, spanning a significant portion of human history. Brief descriptions and explanatory text are sprinkled about but the greatest pleasure, in my opinion, derives from the gorgeous reproductions of art related to alchemy and mysticism.

I actually own two copies of this book. One that I peruse regularly and another that I shall keep as a spare should my first wear out. It is an excellent gift - very uplifting and immensely inspiring.

The subject of alchemy has been somewhat cheapened in our time - reduced to a few basic - often misrepresented - ideas and thrown about by simple minds with incoherent ideas. Few people have encountered the breadth of the subject and the contributions it has made to human civilizations. The inspiration it has provided artists and scientists is immense and this book captures quite a bit of this significance.

The author neither advocates existing belief in alchemy and mysticism, nor denies it. It is a historical perspective - largely relayed through imagery - celebrating the great beauty of the subject and the complexities it once contained.

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Short version of the original book, August 13, 2005

By	Dragan (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alchemy & Mysticism (Icons) (Paperback)

Why do I give this book only 2 stars? I don't agree with the way this book is marketed. Watch out for ordering this book, as there are two books of the same title, author and publisher. What's the difference? One of the books has the word 'icons' on it and has only 192 pages from the original book. The original book has 712 pages. Check that the ISBN's match for what you are after. I made the mistake of buying this book from a site that did not list the page numbers and went off the title, publisher, author and picture on the front cover. Since first writing this review, I have now returned to say that I have the original 712 paged book and am very happy with it. When it comes to a book like this, why settle for second best?

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars O chestnut-tree, great-rooted blossomer..., December 7, 2004

By	Myron Makewater "redcrosseknight" (Laramie) - See all my reviews

This is a beautiful book, a detailed historical examination of the alchemy trope and its major themes. The emphasis is on the visual arts (great selections here), but literature, philosophy, and comparative religion also get a good shake. I would have liked a more detailed analysis of music and dance, but the book is already huge.

The pictures are well-chosen and well-reproduced, and tell a fascinating story of an ideas percolation across Europe, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. The text is also quite a prize; one example of surprising insight: Roob observes that Joyce drew a parallel between Blake's four Zoas and the Gunas of classical Indian thought, while demonstrating through Indian images and Blake's illustrations how Joyce could connect the dots. There's plenty of Blake here and a good squirt of Gurdjieff, too.

A thought on the relationship between alchemy and mysticism to get you going: "It is not a question of 'getting there' or 'being there'; the Tantric tradition speaks of being here. It speaks of transmutation and the analogy of alchemistic practice is used a great deal. For exxample, the existence of lead is not rejected but lead is transmuted into gold. You do not have to change its metallic quality at all; you must simply transmute it" (Chogyam Trungpa, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, p.219).