Reddit reviews Alchemy & Mysticism

get this book it's similar to a "mutus liber" (mute book) in that it tells the history of western esotericism in pictures but there is on average 1/4 page small print commentary on most pictures.

Art history gets close to the history of civilization from the weird perspective but if your not careful about your texts, the occult will be studiously left out. The renaissance was a blaze of occult Anamnesis that was quickly squelched via Protestant appropriation (Rosicrucians) and swept back under the magic rug of materialist history.

Also a fun exercise is learning to write/draw with your "wrong hand". Force yourself to write a few sentences everyday with the hand you do not write with. Eventually the script will get smaller and smaller until you have total control. May take a few weeks but it's quicker than you think. Need to do it everyday though.

What happens (IMO) is that you start rewiring your brain a bit.

Once your good at writing with your wrong hand, practice sketching with it as well.

I did a sketch of an eagle once with both hands at the same time and I did the right side with my right hand and the left with my left. It looked pretty good and you couldn't tell which was which. Sadly I let this practice go (I'm not an artist) but I can still write with my wrong hand.

Not to be mean, but that's the Nickleback of esotericism. I think you'd find most of the illustrations in the $16 book Alchemy and Mysticism to have much deeper, and more multi-layered, meanings. Thumb through, find a few that resonate with you now, find larger versions on the internet, print and frame them.

This system also has the advantage that as you improve in your esoteric knowledge, you can keep upgrading.

Amazon is a good start. This book is Mircea Eliade could be a title and if you like visuals, buy Alchemy & Mysticism, 576 pages with color images and some explanation. From there on, try to see what it is that interests you.

As above, so below.

Try this Alchemy-Mysticism-Hermetic-Museum

That is so cool! Thanks for linking it. I've put it on my wishlist to possibly buy later. Right now I'm looking through this and I have this on the way, so I'll wait on that Seaborg book.

Thanks for posting that! I recognize a lot of those illustrations from this book called "Alchemy & Mysticism" by Alexander Roob. Have you ever seen that one? It's a really amazing collection of artworks. I wish it were a little larger, but it's a great resources nonetheless, and it was really affordable. The hardcover sells on amazon for less than $20. Well worth a purchase if you into such things!

*edit - here is the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Mysticism-Alexander-Roob/dp/3836549360/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526840172&sr=1-1&keywords=alchemy+and+mysticism+alexander+roob&dpID=5168YyiXUkL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

I got Alchemy & Mysticism by Alexander Roob! Have yet to read it, but beautiful pictures!

Honestly, one of the best places to start is:
https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Mysticism-Alexander-Roob/dp/3836549360/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1537747469&sr=8-8&keywords=alchemy

He references most everyone you need to know, and you can follow up. Plus he's really focusing on an important part of the Alchemical tradition and it's transmission: the visuals. Where the guys creating these visuals alchemists? Maybe not in all cases, though it would be hard to do any of them with no understanding, but in many cases- definitely.
This is one of the main sources of Alchemical tradition, and you'll see very little that indicates that you are trying to turn lead into gold, but a lot conveying that you are taking metaphorical lead and turning it into gold. Spiritual lead into gold. Human lead into gold.

My fav on occult art though the ages:
https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Mysticism-Alexander-Roob/dp/3836549360

Here is the desktop version of your link