The Esoteric Archives

August 31, 2002 11:58 PM

The Esoteric Archives - for when you are tired of getting your fix of Hermetic neo-Platonism from secondary sources. Or for when you simply must know what on earth those John Crowley novels were about.
Translations of works by Giordano Bruno, Cornelius Agripppa and all your other favorite Renaissance magicians ...
posted by thatwhichfalls (11 comments total)

Oh John Dee, great Gloriana's astrologer and conversation companion!

I can't believe someone transcribed some of these manuscripts. Tough, slow going, but worth it. You've made my day!
posted by evanizer at 12:19 AM on September 1, 2002

Well, Heavens, and my stars!... this is just amazing. It also prompted me to look up "Grimoire" ("A magickal workbook which contains various information on rituals, formulae, correspondences, and preparation of ritual tools and space. Similar to a Book of Shadows"), a word I had come across before but hadn't stopped to check out. (Found it here.)
posted by taz at 1:09 AM on September 1, 2002

Went to the site first linked to. Spotted the Star of David, which was rather odd since people in the mystic game usually depict the endless knot--the Star of Solomon (he too Jewish), the design made without lifting pen from paper as opposed to David star, which uses two triangles uperimposed, one upon the other. Figured this a reference to Middle East so I closed down lest I be accused of Arab/Israeli conflict bias.
posted by Postroad at 4:22 AM on September 1, 2002

Wow, thanks, thatwhichfalls! I really love this stuff, have been interested in it ever since I took that history of science course at university...
posted by kate_fairfax at 7:29 AM on September 1, 2002

Whoa, nellie. There's something fishy going on here. I have no way to judge the rest of the site, but any page that takes the Necronomicon seriously (and includes the 'seal of Cthulhu'!) leads to the suspicion that the entire site is a send-up. There is no historical book called the 'Necronomicon'. It was invented by H.P. Lovecraft, as noted here. Necronomicon debunking here.

Assuming that particular page of the Esoteric Archives isn't a deliberate troll in an otherwise serious site, like the Snope's archive 'The Repository Of Lost Legends'.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 7:46 AM on September 1, 2002

Thanks for the Crowley links. I've been sort of intrigued by his work for a long time now, but never quite sure what the hell to make of it.
posted by slipperywhenwet at 9:28 AM on September 1, 2002

Always liked John Dee, it's unfortunate that there's not an online copy of Casaubon's "A True and Faithful Relation..." yet, it contains some remarkable and lucid writing ( I was lucky enough to come across a facsimile of the 1659 edition ) relating to conversations with angels.
posted by bobo123 at 10:23 AM on September 1, 2002

thanks that, cool stuff...science seemed to be much more fun back then!
posted by amberglow at 11:20 AM on September 1, 2002

Another good collection of the more mystical sciences, with some legends and other fun things thrown in.
posted by e^2 at 11:43 AM on September 1, 2002

Slithy_Tove:
I think it's safe to assume that the Necronomicon sections are a kind of academic joke. In some circles it's regarded as amusing to see how convincing a history of this non-existent book can be created while remaining consistent with reality - for some reason Dee is a favoured target for this kind of rarified practical joke.
The rest of the site is, as far as I can tell from a slight acquaintance with some of the books on there, for real. Anyway, anyone who visits a site like this looking for information on the Necronomicon on the assumption that the thing exists deserves to be gently lead up the garden path ...
posted by thatwhichfalls at 7:25 PM on September 1, 2002

To subdue a woman, write with the blood of thy hand thy (?) name upon thy gate, and write thy name upon a scroll of leather of a hart with the blood of thy finger, and say this "Sword," and she will come to thee.

I've got to give it a chance.
posted by semmi at 7:46 PM on September 2, 2002