Art and Mysticism PDF Download

Author: Louise Nelstrop
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351765140
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
From the visual and textual art of Anglo-Saxon England onwards, images held a surprising power in the Western Christian tradition. Not only did these artistic representations provide images through which to find God, they also held mystical potential, and likewise mystical writing, from the early medieval period onwards, is also filled with images of God that likewise refracts and reflects His glory. This collection of essays introduces the currents of thought and practice that underpin this artistic engagement with Western Christian mysticism, and explores the continued link between art and theology. The book features contributions from an international panel of leading academics, and is divided into four sections. The first section offers theoretical and philosophical considerations of mystical aesthetics and the interplay between mysticism and art. The final three sections investigate this interplay between the arts and mysticism from three key vantage points. The purpose of the volume is to explore this rarely considered yet crucial interface between art and mysticism. It is therefore an important and illuminating collection of scholarship that will appeal to scholars of theology and Christian mysticism as much as those who study literature, the arts and art history.

Author: Gabriyell Sarom
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781718036949
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
The Step-by-step practical guide to Mysticism & Spiritual Meditations From the beginning of time, Man's curiosity led him to question what was around him. It was the search for the origin of life, the universe, the psyche, consciousness, and God that also led him to question himself and his own existence. In seeking to flee from sorrow and pursue lasting happiness, Man came to realize that there was something else besides his mere five senses. Man thus began his journey in search of the perennial mystical wisdom and realization. This is a book centered on mystical practices. Here the reader will find detailed mystical practices and meditations that will assist him in establishing a suitable mystical routine, from the basic setup to the most advanced practice by which a student can accomplish this ultimate godly realization. The physical embodiment of the divine is also relevant, and that will be addressed. The mystical practices are divided into primary and secondary phases which include, but are not limited to: Attention and Awareness The Mystic Breath Bodily Illumination The Art of Relaxation Breathing Techniques Vital Force Creating and charging Mystical Amulets Sacred Syllables and Mantras Energy Centers and Chakras Awakening the Inner Vision Out-of-Body Exploration Impregnation of meals Mystical Bath Subtle Noticing Divine Absorption We sincerely hope the reader enjoys this work and that it may serve as the fertile ground from which the divine tree of mystic wisdom can grow back towards its perennial source.

Author: Victoria Christian
Publisher: Victoria Christian
ISBN: 9781732692404
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
There is a growing awareness that we are doomed as a species and planet unless we have a radical shift in consciousness and the re-emergence of the Goddess is becoming the symbol and metaphor for this transformation. Feminine Mysticism in Art fills the void of Goddess imagery and wisdom in the West by providing images and writings by 70 contemporary visionary artists and writers (male and female) who have committed their life's work to the re-birth of the Divine Feminine in the West. Some of the visionary artists are: AfraShe Asungi, Yasmin Hernandez, Martina Hoffmann, Penny Slinger, Autumn Skye Morrison, Heather Taylor, Mark Henson, Abba Yahudah, David Joaquin, Andrew Annenberg, Paul Heussenstamm, etc. Some of the visionary writers are: Anne Baring, Margaret Starbird, Arisika Razak, Vicki Noble, Sandra Ingerman, Hank Wesselman, Llewellyn Vaughn Lee, Lotus Linton, and so many more. It is an epic co-creative effort by powerful voices in the Women's Spirituality movement, Inter-Spirituality movement, and Transcendental Art movement. The mission of the book is to not only document a genre of art referred to as feminine mysticism or Goddess art, but also to reveal powerful images of the Divine in his/her myriad forms. The ultimate mission of the book is to assist humanity in evolving our conceptualization of the Divine, transcending out of antagonistic, dualistic, and hierarchical gender associations and into a new mode of consciousness that is more inclusive of all of God's creation. In order for this to occur, however, it is essential that the sacred feminine be firmly rooted in human consciousness. Since the masculine side of God has been so heavily portrayed in Western culture, a large number of people are yearning for images of the Goddess in order to provide alternatives to the conventional dominance of men in religion and society. In contrast, the Goddesses show us that the female can also be symbolic of all the is creative and powerful in the universe as well as provide us with an orientation that can help us save the planet from ecological destruction. Feminine mysticism is a spiritual movement devoted to the re-enchantment of the feminine principle or feminine side of God. Feminine mysticism is a spiritual journey for women, as well as for men, which has been lost to many Westerners, but is beginning to resurface in various ways. In the past thirty years, scholars from various disciplines have documented the ancient cultures and religions of the Goddess and the ways in which they had been intentionally subjugated by the patriarchal religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Archeological and historical evidence all reveal that for thousands of years, matriarchal religions and patriarchal societies existed simultaneously, and that over time, matriarchal or "pagan" religions suffered under centuries of persecution and suppression by the patriarchal societies, which held male deities as supreme. As a result, the feminine side of God has been hidden from view, leading to a deconstructed perception of humanity and disrespect towards many attributes associated with the feminine. Although the reign of matriarchal societies is long gone, the time of union between the masculine and feminine principles are close at hand. The Goddess is revealing herself to the human psyche in an assortment of ways, from the arts to the sciences. Her re-emergence is crucial to our society's shift into a new paradigm, a symbiotic union between the masculine and feminine aspects within the human psyche, society, and the world of spirit. However, before this shift in consciousness can occur, the awakening of the Divine Mother needs to occur on a worldwide level, which is why is is crucial to get as many images of HER as possible into the public's view at this time. See book's website: www.mysticspiritart.com

Author: S. Elizabeth
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
ISBN: 0711254168
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 243

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Book Description
A visual feast of eclectic artwork informed and inspired by spiritual beliefs, magical techniques, mythology and otherworldly experiences. Mystical beliefs and practices have existed for millennia, but why do we still chase the esoteric? From the beginning of human creativity itself, image-makers have been drawn to these unknown spheres and have created curious artworks that transcend time and place – but what is it that attracts artists to these magical realms? From theosophy and kabbalah, to the zodiac and alchemy; spiritualism and ceremonial magic, to the elements and sacred geometry – The Art of the Occult introduces major occult themes and showcases the artists who have been influenced and led by them. Discover the symbolic and mythical images of the Pre-Raphaelites; the automatic drawing of Hilma af Klint and Madge Gill; Leonora Carrington's surrealist interpretation of myth, alchemy and kabbalah; and much more. Featuring prominent, marginalised and little-known artists, The Art of the Occult crosses mystical spheres in a bid to inspire and delight. Divided into thematic chapters (The Cosmos, Higher Beings, Practitioners), the book acts as an entertaining introduction to the art of mysticism – with essays examining each practice and over 175 artworks to discover. The art of the occult has always existed in the margins but inspired the masses, and this book will spark curiosity in all fans of magic, mysticism and the mysterious.

Author: Eitan P. Fishbane
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190885475
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
In the study of Judaism, the Zohar has captivated the minds of interpreters for over seven centuries, and continues to entrance readers in contemporary times. Yet despite these centuries of study, very little attention has been devoted to the literary dimensions of the text, or to formal appreciation of its status as one of the great works of religious literature. The Art of Mystical Narrative offers a critical approach to the zoharic story, seeking to explore the interplay between fictional discourse and mystical exegesis. Eitan Fishbane argues that the narrative must be understood first and foremost as a work of the fictional imagination, a representation of a world and reality invented by the thirteenth-century authors of the text. He claims that the text functions as a kind of dramatic literature, one in which the power of revealing mystical secrets is demonstrated and performed for the reading audience. The Art of Mystical Narrative offers a fresh, interdisciplinary perspective on the Zohar and on the intersections of literary and religious studies.

Author: Gina Buenfeld
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781907208942
Category : Plants
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
Humanity's place in the natural order is under scrutiny as never before, held in a precarious balance between visible and invisible forces: from the microscopic threat of a virus to the monumental power of climate change. Drawing on indigenous traditions from the Amazon rainforest; alternative perspectives on Western scientific rationalism; and new thinking around plant intelligence, philosophy and cultural theory, The Botanical Mind Online investigates the significance of the plant kingdom to human life, consciousness and spirituality across cultures and through time. It positions the plant as both a universal symbol found in almost every civilisation and religion across the globe, and the most fundamental but misunderstood form of life on our planet. This new online project has been developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the closure of our galleries due to the pandemic. 'The Botanical Mind: Art, Mysticism and The Cosmic Tree' was originally conceived as a trans-generational group exhibition, but has been postponed. In the meantime, we have launched this complimentary online programme of new artist commissions, podcasts, films, texts, images and audio, expanding on and enriching the ideas and issues informing the show over at botanicalmind.online ... During this period of enforced stillness, our behaviour might be seen to resonate with plants: like them we are now fixed in one place, subject to new rhythms of time, contemplation, personal growth and transformation. Millions of years ago plants chose to forego mobility in favour of a life rooted in place, embedded in a particular context or environment. The life of a plant is one of constant, sensitive response to its environment - a process of growth, problem-solving, nourishment and transformation, played out at speeds and scales very different to our own. In this moment of global crisis and change there has perhaps never been a better moment to reflect on and learn from them.--https://camdenartcentre.org/the-botanical-mind-online/

Author: Alexander Roob
Publisher: Taschen America Llc
ISBN: 9783822850381
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 575

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Book Description
A classic, prize-winning novel about an epic migration and a lone woman haunted by the past in frontier Waipu. In the 1850s, a group of settlers established a community at Waipu in the northern part of New Zealand. They were led there by a stern preacher, Norman McLeod. The community had followed him from Scotland in 1817 to found a settlement in Nova Scotia, then subsequently to New Zealand via Australia. Their incredible journeys actually happened, and in this winner of the New Zealand Book Awards, Fiona Kidman breathes life and contemporary relevance into the facts by creating a remarkable fictional story of three women entangled in the migrations - Isabella, her daughter Annie and granddaughter Maria. McLeod's harsh leadership meant that anyone who ran counter to him had to live a life of secrets. The 'secrets' encapsulated the spirit of these women in their varied reactions to McLeod's strict edicts and connect the past to the present and future.

Author: Thomas Negovan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780990949534
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description

Author: Arthur Versluis
Publisher: SUNY Press
ISBN: 1438466331
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description
Restores the Platonic history and context of mysticism and shows how it helps us understand more deeply the humanities as a whole, from philosophy and literature to art. In Platonic Mysticism, Arthur Versluisclearly and tautly argues that mysticism must be properly understood as belonging to the great tradition of Platonism. He demonstrates how mysticism was historically understood in Western philosophical and religious traditions and emphatically rejects externalist approaches to esoteric religion. Instead he develops a new theoretical-critical model for understanding mystical literature and the humanities as a whole, from philosophy and literature to art. A sequel to his Restoring Paradise, this is an audacious book that places Platonic mysticism in the context of contemporary cognitive and other approaches to the study of religion, and presents an emerging model for the new field of contemplative science. “An important work on the mystical experience delving deep into its history, particularly from the Platonic perspective. An essential text for anyone interested in mysticism and its relationship to philosophy and creative expression.” — Andrew Newberg, author of How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain: The New Science of Transformation “The present work, the latest from the pen of Arthur Versluis, provides a trenchant, learned, and illuminating analysis of the origins of Western mysticism in the Platonist tradition, relayed through such figures as Plotinus and Dionysius the Areopagite, down through Meister Eckhart and others, while suitably excoriating the attempts of certain modern philosophers and sociologists of religion to ‘deconstruct’ it from a materialist perspective. I found it a rattling good read!” — John Dillon, author of The Heirs of Plato: A Study of the Old Academy (347–274 BC)

Author:
Publisher: Distributed Art Publishers (DAP)
ISBN: 9781942884392
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
"Hyman is awesomely consistent, brilliant, ascetic--more and more people say he is the best painter in America, and so he is." -Robert Lowell This important publication, the first of its kind, presents the paintings and drawings of an aesthetic and mystical searcher in the tradition of William Blake, Albert Pinkham Ryder and Odilon Redon, who strove for the moment when, in his own words, "the mood is as intense as it can be made." Hyman Bloom's work, influenced by his Jewish heritage (whose impression on his painting he described as a "weeping of the heart") and Eastern religions, touches on many of the themes of 20th-century culture and art: the body, its immanence and transience, abstraction and spiritual mysticism. Bloom was admired by leading figures in the art world of his time, including Alfred H. Barr Jr. and Dorothy Miller; Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning hailed him as "the first Abstract Expressionist." The poet Robert Lowell praised Bloom, writing in a letter to Elizabeth Bishop, "Hyman is awesomely consistent, brilliant, ascetic--more and more people say he is the best painter in America, and so he is." The book's illustrations include ten previously unpublished masterworks, plus images of the figure as powerful and provocative as the paintings by Francis Bacon that were once exhibited alongside them. Hyman Bloom(1913-2009) was born in Lithuania, now Latvia. He and his family immigrated to the United States in 1920, escaping anti-Semitic persecution. He lived and worked in the Boston area until his death. His work is held in many public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Whitney Museum of American Art and others.