The Alchemy of William Blake: The Three Principles of the Divine Essence and 'An Allegory of the Spiritual Condition of Man'

by Piers a Vaughan (Foreword by), M R Osborne

Overview

Hardcover with dustjacket. Colour edition.

To better understand William Blake, it is necessary to understand his sources of inspiration. While much has been written about the influences of Paracelsus and Swedenborg on his work, a key influence on Blake was the self-taught sixteenth-century mystic Jacob Boehme. Blake and Boehme believed they had mystical experiences and visions that inspired their writing.

This book embarks on a profound exploration of the connection between these two visionaries. The author meticulously dissects Blake's tempera painting 'An Allegory of the Spiritual Condition of Man' to comprehensively analyse Blake's beliefs. The book carefully examines the painting as a whole and its constituent parts, exploring the relationships between them before reassembling it.

'An Allegory of the Spiritual Condition of Man' has rich potential for interpretation, encompassing both Kabbalistic and alchemical perspectives. The author skilfully incorporates these interpretations into the book's structure, leading readers on a fascinating journey of discovery and deepening their understanding and appreciation of the philosophical alchemy underpinning Blake's mysticism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798895043660
Publisher:	Rose Circle Publications
Publication date:	07/13/2024
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Piers Vaughan was born in Brighton, England, and following sojourns in Germany and Switzerland, lives just outside New York City. He was educated at Brighton College, Oxford and Cranfield Universities, and holds M.A.s in Psychology and Divinity, and an M.B.A. He worked in banking for most of his life, as a Project Manager and Internal Consultant in IT and Operations, later acting as COO of a small training company based in New Jersey. He has been a Freemason most of his life, and is a member of St. John's Lodge No. 1 in New York, which was founded in 1757, and is the guardian of the George Washington Inaugural Bible. He is a 33rd Degree Mason in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, and a Past Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter State of New York, Royal Arch Masons, which he currently serves as Grand Treasurer. He is also a long-standing member of a number of esoteric Orders, having helped to bring a number of these to the United States from England and France. He is also Primate of the Apostolic Church of the Golden & Rosy Cross, a descendent of the Pre-Nicene Church of Richard, Duc de Palatine. He has a particular interest in the Orders, Rituals and protagonists of 18th Century French Masonic and Esoteric Orders, and has built a reputation translating many source documents into English, and lecturing around the world on these topics.

M.R. Osborne is a writer, independent researcher and lawyer. He has published books and articles on esoteric subjects including Rosicrucianism, early Masonic organisation and occult symbolism. A member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA) and Director of Studies at Pythagoras College No.26, he edits the College Pamphlet Plus Quam Silentium. In 2018 he won the prestigious Order of the Companions of Christian Rosenkreutz (CCR) Award for a series of papers on 'The Lessons of Lyons of the Élus Coëns'. He has written for the SRIA's Metropolitan Study Group, and Watkins Mind, Body and Spirit Magazine.He is best known for his scholarly introductions to Rose Circle's four-volume series of early Martinezist manuscripts. His research focus has centred on the composition of the original Élus Coëns as a Catholic mystical fraternity. He contends that the goal of the order in attempting the reinstitution of the theurgy of the kōhānīm was doctrinally consistent with the Catholic faith to which its members subscribed.He regularly features in online podcasts and interviews, where he introduces his books and discusses the esoteric in general. A selection of the author's blogs are on available to read on Academia.The author first encountered Martinism and Rosicrucianism on a personal journey of Christian spirituality. In them, he discovered a fascinating philosophy of early science and theology maintained by hidden organisations almost entirely unknown to mainstream society. The author aims to shed new light on these topics by writing on Rosicrucianism, Martinezism, and related areas of research-for both newcomers and seasoned experts alike.