Bøger af James Wasserman

An examination of the interactions of the Christian Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Assassins, and of the profound changes in Western society that resulted.

A fully illustrated history of the Temple of Solomon.

A fully illustrated guide to the Masonic origins and present-day Masonic sites of Washington, D.C.• Provides a walking tour of the Masonic sites and symbols of the city• Explores the critical role of Freemasonry in the founding of the United States• By the author of The Templars and AssassinsIn this guide to the Masonic underpinnings of America’s capital, James Wasserman reveals the esoteric symbols and the spiritual and visionary ideas that lie hidden in the buildings, monuments, and physical layout of Washington, D.C. His walking tour of these Masonic sites includes both the expected and unexpected--from the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol Building to the Federal Reserve complex, National Academy of Sciences, and the Library of Congress. Each location includes descriptions, interpretations, and explanations of the Masonic symbols and ritualistic meanings hidden within its structure, all illustrated with contemporary color and historic black-and-white photographs. Wasserman explains the purpose behind putting these symbols and Masonic designs into the capital and how all these monuments fit into the spiritual vision held by the founding fathers. He reveals the prominent role that Freemasonry played in the 18th-century Enlightenment movement and shows how in the New World of America, free of monarchy and aristocracy, the ideas of the Enlightenment were able to flourish. This illustrated guidebook to the Masonic secrets of Washington, D.C., provides valuable insights on the founding of America. It will be welcomed by students of esoteric art and symbolism, admirers of American history, and devotees of Dan Brown novels and National Treasure movies.

HISTORY / TEMPLARS "James Wasserman has gathered the most beautiful, authoritative, and complete collection of Crusader and Templar images available anywhere. But this is not just a picture book. Wasserman's text also gives us an exceptionally clear, historically accurate, and esoterically true account of the history of this most mysterious of medieval knightly Orders. His sense of the way in which Templar esotericism fuses Judaic, Islamic (Ismaili), and Christian elements is a welcome and convincing alternative to the usual conditioned view that sees the three great religions separate and opposed."--Christopher Bamford, author of An Endless Trace: The Passionate Pursuit of Wisdom in the WestDespite the increasing scholarship devoted to the study of the Templar order, founded in 1119, the mystery surrounding the Templars endures. Secret societies from the Freemasons to the Ordo Templi Orientis claim descent from this religious order of warrior-monks. As the private army of the pope, the Knights Templar were initially established to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land but grew to become one of the most powerful organizations in the Middle Ages.James Wasserman, author of the bestselling The Templars and the Assassins, provides a fascinating history of the Order and the many mysteries and legends that surround it through a unique and lavish assemblage of more than 170 illustrations. These include images from manuscripts from the Crusades, interpretive romantic paintings from the great masters of the 18th and 19th centuries, and contemporary photographs by Steven Brooke and Vere Chappell of former Templar strongholds in Europe and Jerusalem. Wasserman presents the evidence for the Templar connection to mystical Islamic organizations such as the Assassins as well as their ties to "heretical" groups such as the Cathars, who were expunged because of the challenge they presented to the orthodoxy of their time. In addition to chronicling the Templars' actions during the Crusades, Wasserman revisits the trial and charges leveled against them, showing how the Order was ruthlessly crushed. He also explores the nature of the treasure they left behind, which has fueled popular imagination for centuries.JAMES WASSERMAN, a thirty-year member of the Ordo Templi Orientis, is the author of the bestselling The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven, The Mystery Traditions, and The Slaves Shall Serve: Meditations on Liberty. A longtime student of the occult sciences, he has a played a key role in the publication of many seminal works by Aleister Crowley and is responsible for the widely acclaimed restoration of the Papyrus of Ani, The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day. He lives in New York City.

OCCULT STUDIES / HERMETICISM Symbolic images are the alphabet of the theory of correspondences that underlies all the Mystery traditions of the West. This theory recognizes an implicit interdependence of all things in the universe and the existence of multiple relationships between various aspects of nature's kaleidoscopic richness. Through the beauty and symmetry shown in the holy art of the alchemist, the magician, and the priestess, we can see the spiritual heritage and operating principles of Western Esotericism. In The Mystery Traditions James Wasserman offers a full-color lexicon of occult imagery drawn from the Kabbalah and tarot as well as the traditions of magick, alchemy, esoteric sexuality, and astrology, accompanied by commentary on each image's significance and the wisdom teachings from which it derives. In this revised and expanded edition of Art and Symbols of the Occult he also looks at the pivotal role played by secret societies in safeguarding and transmitting these teachings and presents rarely seen artifacts of such groups. Among the splendid offerings in this collection are all twenty-two paintings of the medieval alchemical masterpiece Splendor Solis in full color and works by significant artists and esoteric thinkers such as Leonardo da Vinci, Robert Fludd, Austin Osman Spare, Harry Smith, Manly P. Hall, and Raymond Lull. This book provides an excellent introduction to the timeless and hidden dimensions of occult practice. An extensive bibliography of classical occult works also complements this unique collection. JAMES WASSERMAN is the author of the bestselling Templars and Assassins: The Militia of Heaven and The Slaves Shall Serve: Meditations on Liberty. He is responsible for the widely acclaimed restoration of the Papyrus of Ani, published in full color with an integrated English translation in The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day, and also played a key role in presenting the works of Aleister Crowley, including the Thoth Tarot cards, The Holy Books of Thelema, as well as his Aleister Crowley and the Practice of the Magical Diary. A longtime student of the occult sciences, he lives in New York City.