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Read more »EXHIBITION This travelling anniversary exhibition of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica to celebrate the fourth centenary of the Rosicrucian Manifestoes examines the visual imagery that can be associated with the Rosicrucian movement. Never before was such complex imagery used to explore the relationship between God, Nature and Man. In this anniversary year, […]
Exhibition ‘Goddelijke Wijsheid – Goddelijke Natuur’ (Divine Wisdom – Divine Nature) in the Ritman Library Anniversary exhibition opening on 11 September 2015 The travelling exhibition ‘Divine Wisdom – Divine Nature’, celebrating 400 years of Rosicrucian Manifestoes which first opened in Germany in September last year and was shown in Switzerland […]
IN MEMORY OF DR. EKATERINA GENIEVA It is with profound regret that the founder, board, director and staff of The Ritman Library learned about the passing of Dr. Ekaterina Genieva, Director General of the Margarita Rudomino All-Russia State Library for Foreign Literature, on 9 July 2015 at the age of 69. The […]
Summertime Walk 2015 – Jordaan (Amsterdam) 02-07-2015 – 30-08-2015 The Summertime Walk 2015 is a new tour specially designed by the Multatuli House, the Pianola Museum, the Theo Thijssen Museum and The Ritman Library. You will discover some of the hidden gems of Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, including a few special museums, devoted […]
Exhibition: MASTER OF CHANGE: IMAGES OF HERMES TRISMEGISTUS A review by Joe Walsh This is an exhibit worth traveling to see. From its renowned collection of books and materials, The Ritman Library has assembled a display that clearly and comprehensively opens up the fascinating development of Hermes as founder and […]
Modern approaches to the Hermetica The message of the Hermetica can be studied from a historical perspective but can also be implemented in modern life. Robert Anderson Plimer is a modern-day Hermeticist and Alchemist who offers courses in alchemy and the Hermetica. Students have the opportunity to discuss and debate […]
Annine van der Meer was a student of the late Professor Gilles Quispel and presented her PhD thesis “Op zoek naar loutering. Oorsprong en ontwikkeling van de enkratitische ascese tot het begin van de 13e eeuw n.Chr.” under his supervision in 1989. Having since grown into a specialist in the […]
The Ritman Library on Tripadvisor In the last few years, The Ritman Library’s Hermetic Holiday Trip Advisors have been suggesting alchemical or hermetic destinations to you (and will continue to do so in the future); now The Ritman Library itself has become the focus of a Trip Advisor post! We […]
THE EMERALD TABLET Recently acquired by The Ritman Library: The Emerald Tablet one of the root texts of alchemy is a brief alchemical work attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Historically the work is part of the Hermetic corpus and seems to have the same origins as the rest of the Corpus […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 04/2015 – 9 May 2015 – – – PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED ON ASCENSION DAY, THURSDAY 14 MAY – – – EVENTS CALENDAR MORGENROTE IM AUFGANG A tribute to Jacob Böhme The work and person of the seventeenth-century German mystic Jacob Böhme continues to fascinate […]
Exhibition ‘Göttliche Weisheit – Göttliche Natur in Basel, Switzerland As part of the Four Hundred Years of Rosicrucian Manifestoes jubilee, the Ritman Library and the International Rosycross Foundation will be presenting the BPH exhibition Divine Wisdom – Divine Nature in several countries from 2014-2017. Having started in Calw in 2014, the venues […]
Book launch Hans Siepel’s Openbaring: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” On Wednesday afternoon, 22 April, a special event took place in the library when communications advisor and former public official Hans Siepel presented his new book Openbaring (‘Revelation’) to an invited audience. Director Esther Ritman opened […]
A tribute to Jacob Böhme: Morgenröte im Aufgang (Aurora or Dayspring) Jacob Böhme is undeniably something of a miracle in the history of mankind, particularly in the history of German thought. Jacob Böhme (1575-1624), the shoemaker and visionary of Görlitz, is the least known, most mysterious and at the same time […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 03/2015 – 2 April 2015 – – – PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED ON 3 APRIL and 5 and 14 MAY – – – BLOG DIVINE WISDOM TO INSPIRE INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY Book presentation by Hans Siepel Hans Siepel (1958) studied political science and held several communication positions […]
Hans Siepel’s new book Revelation Divine wisdom to inspire individuals and society Hans Siepel (1958) studied political science and held several communication positions in the course of his career, including the Netherlands Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, which gave him the excellent opportunity to study the socio-political fabric […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 02/2015 – 6 March 2015 – – – PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED ON FRIDAY 3 APRIL – – – BLOG ‘IL PENSEROSO’ by Joanna Gardner WHERE MORE IS MEANT: ALCHEMICAL IMAGERY IN MILTON’S “IL PENSEROSO” by Joanna Gardner On the surface, John Milton’s […]
MASTER OF CHANGE: IMAGES OF HERMES TRISMEGISTUS. Reseña de la exposición en la Ritman Library. El inicio de este viaje comienza en Ámsterdam, ciudad a la que se asiste siguiendo la pista al siempre presente Hermes. Manifestándose, esta vez, mediante una exhibición temporal en una de las mayores bibliotecas herméticas […]
WHERE MORE IS MEANT: ALCHEMICAL IMAGERY IN MILTON’S “IL PENSEROSO” by Joanna Gardner On the surface, John Milton’s poem “Il Penseroso” seems to be a lighthearted work of mythopoesis, addressing an invented goddess named Melancholy who presides over the inward-looking preoccupations of the contemplative life. However, the poem includes an […]
ROSENKREUZER-Themen stehen auf unseren heutigen GNOSTIKA-Rundgang im Fordergrund. Das wundert nicht, denn 2014 jährt sich zum 400ten Mal die Wiederkehr des Erscheinens der ersten Rosenkreuzermanifeste. 1614-1616 tauchten Schlag auf Schlag die Fama Fraternitatis, die Confessio Fraternitatis sowie die Chymische Hochzeit wie aus dem Nichts auf und sorgten für Furore und […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 01/2015 – 29 January 2015 COMING UP DIVINE WISDOM – DIVINE NATURE in Amsterdam Divine Wisdom – Divine Nature is the catalogue accompanying a series of exhibitions to celebrate four hundred years of Rosicrucian Manifestoes. In the words of Egil Asprem: ‘… how does the BPH mark […]
The flesh of heaven…almost already redeemed & the question of ‘mercy’. 27-10-2014, Diemen, by James Roolvink I would like to describe an approach to the work of the artist Irka Stachiw. The light that she shines on light does not light up as actual light, in actuality, but ‘shines’ and lights up […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 12/2014 – 24 December 2014 NEW EXHIBITION MASTER OF CHANGE Images of Hermes Trismegistus The new exhibition opening in The Ritman Library on January 6th 2015 presents the iconography as it has developed around Hermes Trismegistus and the attributes that can be associated with him, […]
Master of Change: Images of Hermes Trismegistus The new exhibition opening in The Ritman Library on January 6th 2015 presents the iconography as it has developed around Hermes Trismegistus and the attributes that can be associated with him, such as the armillary sphere, the Tabula smaragdina, the ouroboros and the […]
Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica: named after Hermes Trismegistus The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica is named after Hermes Trismegistus, the oriental sage to whom astrological, alchemical, magical, medical, philosophical and religious works were attributed. Not only does the library collect Hermetic works and works belonging to the Hermetic tradition, its own publishing house […]
Ritman family treats the neighbourhood to a fabulous display, 15 Years of Fireworks on Amsterdam’s Bloemgracht [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGLOyH5wCyM[/youtube] This New Year’s Eve the bridge at the junction of Bloemgracht and Prinsengracht is again the scene of a thunderous, spectacular and by now traditional fireworks show, Joost Ritman’s annual treat to the […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 11/2014 – 27 November 2014 EXHIBITION WORLDS OF WISDOM will end on 12 December Our current exhibition “Worlds of Wisdom. An Encounter between Eastern and Western Wisdom” will end on 12 December. Among the works currently on show are the Hindu Bhagavad Gita in a splendid […]
A unique encounter with the BPH This video is a personal gift by Wolfgang Jung, one of the filmmakers of “Reise ins Unerwartete”, to BPH director Esther Ritman and BPH founder Joost Ritman. The video records the first visit which the advisory committee of the film “Reise ins Unerwartete” (Journey […]
The anniversary publication “Divine Wisdom Divine Nature” brought out by the Ritman Library to celebrate four hundred years of Rosicrucian Manifestoes was recently discussed by Egil Asprem on his excellent Heterodoxology blog. Rosicrucian quadricentennary at the BPH This spring marked four hundred years since the publication of the first Rosicrucian […]
Jacob Boehme: mysticism, theosophy and the Hermetic tradition Research project by Fabrizio Di Bella The Hermetic background provides the historiographical and transcendental framework for the speculative work of Jacob Böhme. The purpose of my research is to explore the wide and many-sided phenomenon of the circulation of works that can […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 10/2014 – 1 November 2014 NEW ON FACEBOOK THE ALCHEMICAL HANDBOOK of Ulrich Ruosch Ulrich Ruosch (1628-1698) was a Paracelsian surgeon from Appenzell in Switzerland who produced a beautiful manual which captures the world of 17th-century alchemy, rife as it is with meaningful connections between […]
UM 1600 – Konstellationen zwischen Schulmetaphysik, Konfessionalisierung und hermetischer Spekulation Short film about the highly successful two-day conference ‘Um 1600 – Konstellationen zwischen Schulmetaphysik, Konfessionalisierung und hermetischer Spekulation’ which took place last month in Munich, Germany, to mark the fourth centenary of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood’s manifestoes. We also present as part […]
INFINITE FIRE INTERVIEW – I THE MULTIPERSONA FERNANDO PESSOA Jeronimo Pizzaro, Marco Pasi and Esther Ritman We are proud to present to you the first instalment of the Infinite Fire Interview Series, interviews that are conducted in a spirit ofopen dialogue between the interviewer and the interviewee(s). This first episode […]
Following on from the Enchanted Modernities project and the collaboration with dr. Marco Pasi on the occasion of the exhibition and publication Beauty as the Imprint of the Cosmos in autumn/winter 2013-2014, the Ritman Library intends to build a bridge between her literary treasures and the world of art. From […]
Last year, we launched our first Infinite Fire Webinar Series, that resulted in 9 webinars featuring 3 respected scholars related to the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP) sharing their academic know-how in relation to the library’s sources. This academic year, we kick-off with a second […]
Frank van Lamoen already devoted an article on this blog to the Art and Alchemy exhibition in Düsseldorf, a very fine exhibition which ran this past spring and summer of 2014. I would like to add another contribution on this blog focusing on items that impressed me particularly. The first, historical, […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 8/2014 – 31 August 2014 NEW PUBLICATION DIVINE WISDOM – DIVINE NATURE | GÖTTLICHE WEISHEIT – GÖTTLICHE NATUR The Message of the Rosicrucian Manifestoes in the Visual Language of the Seventeenth Century The Ritman Library is bringing out a lavishly illustrated work in German and in English […]
PREFACE ‘TO THE READER WHO UNDERSTANDS WISDOM’ The preface to the Fama and Confessio Fraternitatis R.C. in the Frankfurt edition addresses ‘the reader who understands wisdom’ and begins with a definition of wisdom according to Solomon. Wisdom is here described as: ‘an infinite treasure, as she is the breath of divine […]
Starting soon: courses in the stuff The Ritman Library is made of Would you like to know more about the ideas and symbols related to The Ritman Library’s collection or become familiar with their history? This is possible in weekly get-togethers starting soon in Amsterdam, Utrecht and a few other […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 7/2014 – 02 August 2014 INFINITE FIRE WEBINAR IX ARTHUR EDWARD WAITE by Marco Pasi This is the ninth and final episode of the first Infinite Fire webinar series that we prepared in collaboration with the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related […]
And there was Light! (En er was Licht!) is an educational project by the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in collaboration with the Jan van Rijckenborgh School, the Hanzehogeschool Academie Minerva and the Theosophical Library Amsterdam, made possible through a grant from the Iona Foundation. And the Elohim said, let there be Light! And there was […]
This is the ninth and final episode of the first Infinite Fire webinar series to have been prepared in collaboration with the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP). In this webinar, Dr. Marco Pasi focussed on the famous British poet, mystic and occultist Arthur Edward Waite […]
‘East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet’, is the first and often quoted line from Rudyard Kipling’s The Ballad of East and West (1889), which is too often explained as pointing to the irreconcilable differences existing between the East and the West. In doing so, however, […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 05/2014 – 29 May 2014 NEW WEBINAR MARCO PASI Infinite Fire Webinar VIII (PART II) Now online! A new Infinite Fire Webinar, by Dr. Marco Pasi. This webinar focusses on the Theosophical Movement, which was founded in the late 19th century. The word Theosophy relates to ‘Wisdom […]
An impression of Alchemy – Das Geheimnis der Verwandlung, an exhibition in the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, 5 April – 10 August 2014. The visual arts and alchemy have so much in common that we are easily inclined to take a painter for an alchemist. The earliest texts in the alchemical canon […]
“Let there be light!” Adriaan Koerbagh’s A Light Shining in Dark Places now available in modern Dutch The ‘tragic story of the brothers Koerbagh’, Jonathan Israel observed in Radical Enlightenment, ‘may very well have been the very first example in Europe of official suppression of philosophical “enlightenment” of the people, […]
This is the second of three webinars by dr. Marco Pasi in our Infinite Fire Webinar series. In his first webinar, Marco Pasi focused on the Austrian author and occultist Gustav Meyrink (1868-1932) and his esoteric novels, such as The Golem (1915). In his second webinar, he discusses the Theosophical […]
Recently, the library received an artwork by the Belgian artist Mireille Robbe called V.I.T.R.I.O.L. The acronym refers to the famous alchemical motto ‘Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem‘ meaning: ‘Visit the Interior Parts of the Earth; by Rectification Thou Shalt Find the Hidden Stone‘. The words may also be taken […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 04/2014 – 24 April 2014 IN DE PELIKAAN BOOKSHOP EXHIBITION CATALOGUE Beauty as the Imprint of the Cosmos Just arrived! The exhibition catalogue of our current exhibition ‘Beauty as the Imprint of the Cosmos’, with an introduction by dr. Marco Pasi of the HHP in […]
And there was Light! (En er was Licht!): an educational project by the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in collaboration with the Jan van Rijckenborgh School Hilversum and the Minerva Academy Groningen, made possible through a grant from the Iona Foundation. And the Elohim said, let there be Light! And there was […]
THE EARTH ANGEL OR THE BODY-SPIRIT By Raimon Arola English translation by his student Hilda Takács The article is an English translation of chapter 4 of Raimon Arola’s book ‘Alquimia y religion. Los símbolos herméticos del siglo XVI‘, published by Ediciones Siruela, Madrid 2008, pp. 61-70. The body-spirit easily accomplishes […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 03/2014 – 28 March 2014 RECENT ACQUISITION ROBERT FLUDD Donation of complete works On 17 March 2014 Jons and Els Hensel offered the complete works of Robert Fludd to the board of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica Foundation as a donation to the library. Robert Fludd […]
The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam: a Rich Collection of Works on The Egyptian Humanistic Tradition by Rachad Mounir Shoucri The following article appeared in Watani International on February 23rd, 2003. The BPH The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (BPH) was founded in 1957 by Joost R. Ritman in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) with […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 02/2014 – 27 February 2014 BE A VOLUNTEER! WRITING FOR THE RITMAN LIBRARY Facebook Contribute to our Facebook page and write Hermetic Holidays, Hermetic Reads, Interesting Events, and Brief Biographies posts. If you are interested in reading and writing about Hermetic topics, let us know and send an email to bph@ritmanlibrary.nl, including a short introduction about yourself and be welcome […]
De Ketelfactory, Schiedam, January 12th 2014 Last month, Esther Ritman, director and librarian of The Ritman Library, spoke with three artists – Bernadet ten Hove (1957), Frank Sciarone (1951) and Ton Mars (1950) – about their work in De Ketelfactory in Schiedam. Below is a selection of the fragments which Esther […]
Project notes. 21 December 2012 – 21 December 2013. Every day I am drawing an image or writing a text. Sometimes only a word, on the two pages of an opening in a Reclam Universal Notebook. The two pages, who are at the same time one („Doppelseite“, a double spread), are […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 01/2014 – 23 January 2014 BLOG DAN BROWN VISITS THE RITMAN LIBRARY 7 January 2014 The New Year opened for The Ritman Library in a special way with a visit by Dan Brown, celebrated author of Inferno (to name only the most recent one of […]
This is the first of three webinars by dr. Marco Pasi in our Infinite Fire Webinar series. In his first webinar Marco focuses on the Austrian author and occultist Gustav Meyrink (1868-1932). Meyrink is known for his esoteric novels, such as The Golem (1915), which created sensation upon publication and […]
DAN BROWN VISITS THE RITMAN LIBRARY The New Year opened for The Ritman Library in a special way with a visit by Dan Brown, celebrated author of Inferno (to name only the most recent one of his bestsellers). Dan Brown greatly appreciated coming face to face with the primary sources […]
Per Unum – Ad Unum The eightieth birthday, on 30 May 1996, of Gilles Quispel, the nestor of Hermetic gnosis, was the occasion of a symposium held in his honour at the University of Amsterdam. The lectures presented at the symposium by Gilles Quispel, Roelof van den Broek, Peter Kingsley, Jean-Pierre […]
On Friday 4 October members of the Comenius Gesellschaft were the guests of The Ritman Library. They were first made welcome in the Huis met de Hoofden by Esther and Joost R. Ritman. The visit was part of the programme of the international Comenius Conference 2013, ‘Keys to the thoughts of Comenius […]
Böhme’s legacy abused! The above words certainly do not apply to the International Jacob-Böhme-Institut (IJBI). This institute, established in Böhme’s native town of Görlitz, aims to bring the legacy of the theosopher and mystic Jacob Böhme to public attention and make it more accessible (www.jacob-boehme.org). Recently, the IJBI published a […]
“God is an infinite sphere…” Alanus de Insulis, De maximis theologiae. [Basel, Jakob Wollf, before 1492] This incunable (i.e. a book printed before 1500) is the first edition of the most important work by Alain de Lille, as he is also called in English after his place of birth. Alanus […]
Prestigieuses bibliothèques du monde by Jean-François Blondel (Oxus 2013). The French word ‘bibliothèque’ (library) comes from the Greek biblion, “book”, and thékê, “place, location”. It is the place where books are preserved, in the most general sense, that is to say the written word, and it is here where they […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 13/2013 – 14 November 2013 PARTNERSHIP THE CENTER FOR HISTORY OF HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY AND RELATED CURRENTS University of Amsterdam The HHP is project partner of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, the Hermetically Open Project – Hermetic Amsterdam is a track developed by the two institutes in which academic […]
Paul Kléber Monod, Solomon’s Secret Arts. The occult in the age of Enlightenment. Yale University Press, 2013 ‘WONDERS!, WONDERS!, WONDERS! and WONDERS!’ With these words showman Dr Gustavus Katterfelto, wearing a long black cloak and cap, praised his demonstrations of scientific marvels such as phosphorus matches, but also the revelation of […]
Bruiloft by Claudy Jongstra (De Ketelfactory 2013). Claudy Jongstra is a creative artist who enthusiastically experiments with natural materials to create works of art. In her work she particularly likes to use felt as a basic material. Jongstra’s sources of inspiration for her project ‘Bruiloft’ (‘ wedding’) came from the […]
Construction work for the Goetheanum, the chief theatre and conference centre of the anthroposophical movement, began in 1914. It was, in a sense, anthroposophy’s showcase and ticket to the world at large. The name is of course a tribute to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe because of the significance Rudolf Steiner attached […]
Free Adriaan Koerbagh! Unfortunately, it ‘s a little too late for that: Koerbagh died in prison in 1669 (a ‘Rasphuis’ in Amsterdam). He belonged to the circle of Spinoza, and wrote a very critical lexicon debunking the dogmas of the reformed and other churches. Read all about this ‘heretic’ whose […]
Lynda Harris, author of The Secret Heresy of Hieronymus Bosch (first published 1985, reprinted 2002) is one of the many authors attracted by the enigma of Bosch’ paintings and interested in exploring possible influences: “Behind their appearance of orthodoxy, they portray the doctrines and attitudes of Catharism”, as the blurb […]
A new blog on the fascinating painter Louis Cattiaux, founder of the ‘Transhylisme’ (Beyond Matter) movement in the early 1930s. The Ritman Library is grateful to have received a donation of Mrs. Jeanne Lohest-Hooghvorst of Beya Publications, Belgium. Joanne has given the following five works by or about the French […]
A few months ago the BPH acquired a number of anthroposophical works dating from the 1920s and 1930s. The collection not only consists of books, but also includes an admittance ticket to one of Rudolf Steiner’s mystery plays, Hüter der Schwelle. The name on the printed ticket, showing the Rosicrucian […]
Morgen-Glantz. Zeitschrift der Christian Knorr von Rosenroth-Gesellschaft. Vol. 23 (2013), 366 pp. Ever heard of the Christian Knorr von Rosenroth Society? Now is your chance! This German Society brings out a periodica once a year with articles (all in German) covering many more subjects and persons than Knorr von Rosenroth […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 12/2013 – 10 October 2013 BLOG ENCHANTED MODERNITIES SOME THOUGHT-FORMS ON THE METAPHYSICAL IN ART by Eline Bochem From September 25th – 27th the international scholarly conference Enchanted Modernities – Theosophy, Modernism & the Arts took place in Amsterdam, bringing together more than […]
Two new volumes on Christian Kabbala: Volumes 2 and 3 (covering the years 1600-1660 and 1660-1850): W. Schmidt-Biggemann, Geschichte der christlichen Kabbala. (Stuttgart/Bad Cannstadt , Fromman-Holzboog 2013). Vol. 2 contains explanations of the enigmatic engravings in the works of Heinrich Khunrath and Robert Fludd, and deals with Böhme’s much disputed […]
For three days last week Amsterdam was the epicentre for anyone interested in the relationship between the arts and anthroposophical and theosophical currents. From September 25th – 27th the international scholarly conference Enchanted Modernities – Theosophy, Modernism & the Arts took place on two locations, the Singelkerk and Doelenzaal, bringing […]
Ladies only! An exploration of the lives and alchemical practices of remarkable women, from Hypatia of Alexandria (4th C.), Anne Conway (17th C), Susanne Katharina von Klettenberg (18th C.) and Mary Anne Atwood (19th C.) to name a few of the better-known. The author (a woman, of course!) uses methods […]
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Contemporary Esotericism, edited by Egil Asprem and Kennet Granholm (Equinox / Acumen, 2013). The study of contemporary esoteric discourse has hitherto been a largely neglected part of the new academic field of Western esotericism. Contemporary Esotericism provides a broad overview and assessment of the complex world of Western esoteric thought […]
Handbook of the Theosophical Current. Eds. Olav Hammer and Mikael Rothstein. Leiden|Boston 2013 (Brill Handbooks on contemporary religion 7) It is a truth universally known that the Theosophical Society exerted a great deal of influence, both on religion and on the arts, though few currents have been so under-researched! The […]
Spirits Unseen. The Representation of the Subtle Bodies in Early Modern European Culture. Ed. C. Göttler & W. Neuber. Leiden, Brill 2008 A book on spirits in the broad sense of the word: Spirits unseen investigates spirits (airy, volatile ‘subtle bodies’) in a variety of disciplines: in art theory, demonology, […]
Blog by the Global Hermetic Circle Light as a feather! All the great ones of earth likely sought inspiration in the light, in the self-explanatory. From childhood on they looked out for that which never changes. Staring at the moon, where does that light come from? Why is she gone […]
Talk by Esther Ritman at a Spui 25 meeting on 12 September 2013 to promote the Enchanted Modernities. Theosophy and the Arts in the Modern World conference which will take place from 25-27 September in Amsterdam. Over the past years the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (also referred to as The Ritman […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 11/2013 – 12 September 2013 INFINITE FIRE WEBINAR VI THE THEOSOPHICAL SYSTEM BY JACOB BOEHME by Wouter J. Hanegraaff This webinar focuses exclusively on perhaps the greatest of the Christian theosophers: Jacob Boehme. As will be seen, he exemplifies a potent combination of […]
If you would also like to post a blog with content relevant to the BPH please contact us at bph@ritmanlibrary.nl. Revista Arsgravis: ISSN 2013-0228 […]
An explanation of The Ritman Library emblem designed by Rachel Ritman The emblem consists of 7 components: The white cubic stone is the cornerstone of Christ, as it is written in the Fama fraternitatis: ‘A seed, sown in the heart of Jesus’. The cross, engraved in the white cubic stone […]
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The contents of this blog, which has been sent to us by Janny Leggedoor who recently visited the library, expresses the author’s own ideas and opinions. If you would also like to post a blog with content relevant to the BPH please contact us at bph@ritmanlibrary.nl. The Last Taboo We […]
The two previous webinars (“The Revival of Platonic Orientalism” and “The Real Hermetic Tradition”) were concerned with important forms of esoteric speculation that developed during the Renaissance in a Roman Catholic context. In all these cases, the notion of Tradition was crucial: in their search for truth, authors such as […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 10/2013 – 15 AUGUST 2013 NEW HERMETIC HOLIDAYS! travel tips? As of the middle of July we have been posting Hermetic Holidays tips for our Facebook followers, taking them to places of Hermetic, alchemical or generally esoteric interest. So far we’ve been to […]
‘Beauty as the Imprint of the cosmos’: the metaphysical in art An exhibition of drawings, graphic art and printed books 25 September 2013 – 23 May 2014 Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, Amsterdam ‘Beauty is the imprint of the cosmos … in a physical earthly being’, is a statement by Rudolf Steiner* […]
As of the middle of July we have been posting Hermetic Holidays tips for our Facebook followers, taking them to places of Hermetic, alchemical or generally esoteric interest. So far we have been to places in Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria, and we are planning to take our followers […]
Maria Fiammetta Iovine is researching that enigmatic and enthralling remaining monument of the villa of Massimiliano Palombara, marquis of Pietraforte (1614-1685), as she informed The Ritman Library when she paid a visit in March this year. Her email address is added below for anyone wishing to contact her on her […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 9/2013 – 11 JULY 2013 BLOG ESSWE4 by Eline Bochem Last week the bi-annual international conference of The European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE) took place in the University of Gothenburg. ESSWE is a scholarly society, founded in 2005 to […]
Last week the bi-annual international conference of The European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE) took place in the University of Gothenburg, Sweden from 26-29 June 2013. ESSWE is a scholarly society, founded in 2005 to enhance and promote the academic study of Western Esotericism. The fourth ESSWE […]
Begin deze maand vond op Renova, het centrale conferentieoord in Bilthoven van het Lectorium Rosicrucianum, Internationale School van het Gouden Rozenkruis, het symposium De Grondeloze Wijsheid van Tao plaats. Het symposium is de vierde editie van een serie van zeven gewijd aan de grote wijsheid tradities, hun geschreven werken en […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 8/2013 – 13 JUNE 2013 BLOG AND PREZI DAN BROWN’S INFERNO A Journey to Dante’s Hell by José Bouman On 14 May Dan Brown’s latest novel was launched worldwide: Inferno, a title alluding to Dante’s La Divina Commedia. The Ritman Library was there when the Dutch translation was presented […]
This entry is a revised version of an article posted on the previous Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica website The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (BPH) holds the complete though short-lived runs of two alchemical periodicals that were published in England and in Germany within a few decades of each other: I. The Journal […]
“This is the universe: big isn’t it?” – Peter the Great and Christiaan Huygens Museum Boerhaave is currently showing an exhibition for children aged 6-12 (but also delightful for grown-ups), highlighting some of the inventions of the greatest Dutch scientist of the Golden Age: Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695). The versatile inventor Huygens conducted […]
Today is the birthday of the Dutch Gnosis scholar Gilles Quispel, who was born on 30 May 1916. He was instrumental in advancing the study of Gnosis, both in the Netherlands and, through his vast international academic network, also abroad. An uneventful and predictable academic career would not have suited […]
Yesterday Dan Brown’s latest novel was launched worldwide: Inferno, a title alluding to Dante’s La Divina Commedia. The Ritman Library was there when the Dutch translation was presented to an expectant public, early in the morning at seven a.m. in the beautiful surroundings of the Royal Waiting room at Amsterdam’s Central Station. […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 7/2013 – 9 MAY 2013 VIDEO INFINITE FIRE WEBINAR V Hermetic Tradition of the Renaissance by Wouter J. Hanegraaff In this 5th Webinar Wouter Hanegraaff continues the narrative by discussing the “Hermetic” variant, according to which the true wisdom goes back to Hermes […]
In Infinite Fire Webinar IV, prof. dr. Wouter Hanegraaff explained that Gemistos Plethon and Marsilio Ficino are strong examples of a “Zoroastrian” interpretation of Platonic Orientalism, while Giovanni Pico della Mirandola is representative of a “Mosaic” interpretation. In this 5th Webinar he continues the narrative by discussing the “Hermetic” […]
From the late 16th century through the 18th century, one of the chief reasons for Europeans to sail overseas on voyages of discovery–from Columbus and Da Gama to Flinders and Behring—was the hope of finding sources of wealth. Getting to the source of the spice trade was one of the […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 6/2013 – 11 APRIL 2013 VIDEO VIDEO OF THE SPECIAL EVENT Wonderful Worlds of botany, alchemy and esotericism On 22 March about 55 people attended the special afternoon devoted to the two exhibitions currently showing in The Ritman Library: ‘A Curious Tsar‘ and ‘Alchemy […]
Cultural heritage institutions are working together more and more to make things happen, and it’s happening here in Amsterdam, too. On 8 March Mr. Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of The State Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg, officially opened A Curious Tsar. Peter the Great and discovering Nature’s Secrets in Amsterdam, the […]
Last week I taught a class on Western esotericism and visual culture at Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa). When preparing the class I happened upon the excellent Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) website, which contains an impressive selection of fine art devoted to ‘The Art of Iatrochemistry’ that is on display […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 5/2013 – 28 MARCH 2013 BLOG SPECIAL EVENT Wonderful Worlds of botany, alchemy and esotericism On 22 March about 55 people attended the special afternoon devoted to the two exhibitions currently showing in The Ritman Library: ‘A Curious Tsar‘ and ‘Alchemy on the Amstel‘. […]
Wonderful Worlds of botany, alchemy and esotericism On 22 March about 55 people attended the special afternoon devoted to the two exhibitions currently showing in The Ritman Library: ‘A Curious Tsar‘ and ‘Alchemy on the Amstel‘. Director & librarian Esther Ritman introduced the three speakers who had kindly agreed to offer what […]
1993-2013: they have been no ordinary two decades. It is perhaps not common knowledge but two countries, Russia and the Netherlands, have been linked by a common purpose thanks to the efforts of two determined libraries: ‘so far away, yet so close’, as the saying is. These past twenty years, […]
On 20 March 2013 a group of students of the Typographic Interest Group from the University of the Arts in London visited The Ritman Library. Curator José Bouman offered the group a guided tour of the library, all the way up to the rare books room. We asked Phil Baines, […]
While leafing through a sturdy little volume of more than a thousand pages, brought out by the Stuttgart publisher J. Scheible in the Das Kloster, weltlich und geistlich series in 1846, I came across an image of a triumphal chariot that was completely unknown to me. The enigmatic picture is […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 4/2013 – 14 MARCH 2013 VIDEO OPENING EXHIBITION‘ A Curious Tsar: Peter the Great’ On Friday afternoon 9 March 2013, the Bloemstraat was for a few hours a little piece of Russia during the opening of A curious Tsar: Peter the Great and […]
THEMAMIDDAG ‘WONDERLIJKE WERELDEN: OVER BOTANIE, ALCHEMIE EN ESOTERIE’ Themamiddag n.a.v. de dubbeltentoonstelling Een nieuwsgierige Tsaar en Alchemie aan de Amstel Op vrijdag 8 maart 2013 opende in The Ritman Library een nieuwe tentoonstelling: ‘Een nieuwsgierige Tsaar. Peter de Grote op zoek naar de geheimen der natuur in Amsterdam’, die tot […]
Nikolay Ivanovich Novikov 1744-1818 From the report of Archbishop Plato to Catherine the Great, January 1786: “As before the throne of God, so before your throne, Your Most Gracious Majesty the Empress, I undertake, according to my conscience and rank, to report, that I pray to the most generous God […]
On Friday afternoon 8 March 2013, the Bloemstraat was for a few hours a little piece of Russia as distinguished guests Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage in St Petersburg, Ekaterina Genieva and Alexandr Petrov, Director General and Executive Director of the Rudomino Library in Moscow, Yuri Chistov, Director of […]
This Thursday will see the launch of the first full biography of one of the greatest exponents of what Jonathan Israel has called the Radical Enlightenment, Adriaen Koerbagh (1632-1669), in the pleasant surroundings of Amsterdam’s Special Collections on Oude Turfmarkt. Published by Vantilt in Nijmegen, Adriaen Koerbagh: Het noodlot van […]
Most honoured guests from Russia, Mikhail Piotrovsky, director general of the State Hermitage Museum St.-Petersburg, Ekaterina Genieva, director general of the Rudomino All Russia State Library for Foreign Literature, Alexander Petrov, executive director of the Rudomino Library, Yuri Chistov, director of the Kunstkamera St. Petersburg, Sergey Korostelev, member of council […]
The artist Christine Ödlund came to The Ritman Library with Marco Pasi last week, and we had the wonderful opportunity of meeting with her and talking about her interests related to the materials in the library’s collection. Christine is a cutting edge multi-media artist whose works have been shown in various […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 3/2013 – 28 FEBRUARY 2013 VIDEO INFINITE FIRE WEBINAR IV The Revival of Platonic Orientalism by Wouter J. Hanegraaff Welcome to Prof.dr. Wouter J. Hanegraaff’s first webinar in the Infinite Fire series, devoted to “The Revival of Platonic Orientalism”. Hanegraaff explains that the Hermetic philosophy of […]
‘A Curious Tsar: Peter the Great and Discovering the Secrets of Nature in Amsterdam’ Exhibition 11 March – 20 September 2013 in The Ritman Library The city of Amsterdam is getting ready to celebrate 400 years of relations between Russia and the Netherlands with a major exhibition opening on […]
Lights, camera, action – welcome to The Ritman Library! On Thursday 7 February 2013 ‘Straten van Amsterdam’ (Streets of Amsterdam), a television programme broadcast by the Amsterdam broadcasting company AT5, visited the Bloemstraat and The Ritman Library. Anchorwoman Gülden Ilmaz talked to Joost and Esther Ritman in a fascinating […]
Infinite Fire Webinar IV – The Revival of Platonic Orientalism Welcome to Prof.dr. Wouter J. Hanegraaff’s first webinar in the Infinite Fire series, devoted to “The Revival of Platonic Orientalism”. Hanegraaff explains that the Hermetic philosophy of the Renaissance was part of a larger development that has had an enormous […]
It is now thirty years ago that I saw him for the first time, talking to Hayy Ibn Yaqzan. The two philosophers were discussing the Sal Naturae Concentratum, one of the many names for the Philosopher’s Stone. The philosophical talks were created by Willem van Swaanenburg (1679-1728), a journalist […]
In the summer of 1977 Frank van Lamoen cycled to Glastonbury in search of King Arthur’s grave. He read the work of Arthur Edward Waite on the Grail and became acquainted with the magic of the Golden Dawn. While studying 18th-century Dutch literature he discovered the work of Willem van […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 2/2013 – 14 FEBRUARY 2013 OUR WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSHOP | NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE Pearls of wisdomYou live that you may learn to love. You love that you may learn to live.Michael Naimy – The […]
A curious Tsar: Peter the Great and discovering nature’s secrets in Amsterdam Presenting: a special exhibition in The Ritman Library. Remarkable, intriguing and above all curious. ‘A curious Tsar: Peter the Great and discovering nature’s secrets in Amsterdam‘ shows printed works and engravings highlighting this extraordinary Tsar and the Scotsman Robert […]
Introducing the second Infinite Fire Webinar host: Wouter J. Hanegraaff With the Infinite Fire Webinar Series, the Ritman Library and the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (GHF) of the University of Amsterdam have joined forces and are planting the seed for a Scholarly Hermetic Circle. […]
The current exhibition in the BPH, Alchemy on the Amstel, shows a number of works by Basil Valentine, and to some extent traces the influence of the writings that appeared under this wonderfully named adept. I have noticed that Professor Lawrence Principe in his latest book ‘The Secrets of Alchemy’, […]
Picturing the Triumphant Chariot of Antimony In 1604 the first edition of Basilius Valentinus’ Triumph-Wagen Antimonii appeared, a panegyric on the medicinal use of the semi-metal antimony, with clear alchemical recipes included. The Triumph-Wagen Antimonii was the first of eight works in this edition, and was followed by: Von der […]
Welcome to dr. Peter J. Forshaw’s third webinar in the Infinite Fire series. Today he introduces the early modern mathematician, natural philosopher and magus, John Dee (1527-1608/9), another significant figure in the history of science, esotericism and Hermetic Philosophy. Dee is a fascinating example of a thinker deeply engaged with both orthodox and unorthodox […]
Harold J. Cook comes from the American Midwest, although he is now a British as well as US citizen, having devoted almost a decade to his work as Professor of the History of Medicine and Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL. He previously […]
As a seven-year-old, an intrigued Cis van Heertum conducted an alchemical experiment in her mother’s kitchen after having heard the headmaster at school speak about the wonderful properties of the element mercury. Once Home Alone, she lost no time dipping the kitchen thermometer in the pan of soup on the […]
The Ritman Library Newsletter no. 1/2013 – 31 JANUARY 2013 OUR WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSHOP | NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE Pearls of wisdom ~Freedom is absolutely necessary for the progress in science and the liberal arts~Spinoza VIDEO GUIDED TOUR ALCHEMY ON […]
Guided Tour Alchemy on the Amstel 13-12-2012 On 13 December 2012 the students of Peter Forshaw’s Alchemy Class were given a guided tour of the current exhibition Alchemy on the Amstel by curator Cis van Heertum and were then taken up to the ‘holy of holies’ to see highlights of […]
Fireworks show: New year’s message of J.R. Ritman Watch the New Year’s Message by the founder of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, Joost R. Ritman, and images of the fireworks show offered by The Ritman Library on Bloemgracht bridge at the foot of the Westertoren in Amsterdam every New Year’s Eve. […]
by Carla Henkel Looking out from the first floor reading room of the Ritman Library, you’ll spot a pelican perched on the facade of the building across the street. The image of a pelican nourishing its young from the blood of its breast can be used by alchemists to illustrate […]
José Bouman (1953) studied Dutch language and literature, specialising in medieval literature and book history. After having finished her studies she completed a postgraduate academic librarianship course. From 1984-2011 she worked full-time as curator of the BPH’s rare books and manuscripts collection, initially under director Frans Janssen, later under director […]
The Ritman LIbrary Newsletter . THE RITMAN LIBRARY NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2012 It is true, without a lie, certain and most true, that which is below is as that which is above, and that which is above is as that which is […]
The Ritman Library one year after reopening Exactly twelve months after the festive reopening of The Ritman Library we are looking back with great satisfaction to a very dynamic and productive year in which we were able to launch a great many new projects. To ensure the continuity of the […]
Alchemy on the Amstel meets Leyden’s Luxuriance and the Bibliotheca Pharmacia. On 19 November some 65 people attended an afternoon devoted to 3 related exhibitions currently showing in Leiden and in Amsterdam. Ritman Library director & librarian Esther Oosterwijk-Ritman, who introduced the afternoon’s speakers, emphasized what she said in her […]
The logo of Alchemy on the Amstel comes from a manuscript called the Tractatus artis notoriae et expositiones eius quas Apollonius flores aureos appellavit, and it’s magic! Although the manuscript was written in the middle of the 17th century, the work itself is one of the pseudo-Solomonic magical works that […]
Rosicrucian imagery in Der weiße Dominikaner and Der Engel vom westlichen Fenster „Ich breite die Arme aus“ Der weiße Dominikaner „Breite die Arme aus, Aufrechtstehender!“ Ich breitete die Arme waagrecht. Der Engel vom westlichen Fenster Erwin Tintner’s cover illustration for Der weiße Dominikaner (1921) In 1890 a significant turn […]
Henk Schutten Translation of an article which appeared in Het Parool, 6 December 2008 The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica devotes an exhibition to the author Gustav Meyrink Chidr, a mysterious personage with a green visage, plays a major role in Gustav Meyrink’s novel The Green face. Those who encounter Chidr with […]
Erik van den Berg © De Volkskrant (translation of an article which appeared on 23 January 2009) Profile: Gustav Meyrink The novels The Golem and The Green Face made Gustav Meyrink famous. Eventually his readers and critics lost interest in the author. An exhibition throws light on his esoteric side. […]
De Echo, 28 November 2012 Translation of an article by Hans Tulleners which earlier appeared in De Echo, a local Dutch newspaper. Some libraries – the chronicler has been taking a close look at yet another library – come into existence in rather special ways. Take the story of businessman […]
We are very happy to post Adam McLean’s first blog, on the Alchemy on the Amstel exhibition currently showing in the library. Adam McLean, who really needs no introduction (and if he does, let us direct you to his website www.alchemywebsite.com/adam.html) will be posting blogs regulaly on topics related to the BPH’s collections […]
McLean is best known for the Magnum Opus Hermetic Sourceworks series, currently 45 volumes. He has also produced a number of other series on hermetic and alchemical themes. He edited the long running Hermetic Journal from 1978-92. He has a great interest in allegorical and emblematic imagery, and in the […]
THE RITMAN LIBRARY NEWSLETTER – NOVEMBER 2012 VIRTUAL EXHIBITION TOUR | INFINITE FIRE By library founder Joost R. Ritman On 16 December 2011 the library that was closed a year before in 2010 re-opened its doors. With the exhibition ‘Infinite Fire’ we wanted to show that we wish […]
With the Infinite Fire Webinar Series, the Ritman Library and the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (GHF) of the University of Amsterdam have joined forces and are planting the seed for a Scholarly Hermetic Circle. As we announced at the beginning of September, in the coming year we […]
On 16 December last year the library that was closed a year before in 2010 re-opened its doors. With the exhibition Infinite Fire we wanted to show that we wish to continue with our mission: to preserve the spiritual heritage of Western culture and make it available to everyone so […]
Dr. Robert Collis is a Leverhulme Research Fellow in the Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies at The University of Sheffield, where his current research is focusing on the topic of Western esotericism and the Russian elite in the long eighteenth century (1689-1825). He completed his PhD in 2008 at […]
The Petrine Instauration Religion, Esotericism and Science at the Court of Peter the Great, 1689-1725 by Robert Collis, Ph. D. – BRILL Academic Publishers, 2011 – The reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725) was marked by an unprecedented wave of reform in Russia. This book provides an innovative reappraisal of the […]
Amsterdam, and in particular various Spinoza societies in the Netherlands, will be celebrating the 380th anniversary of the birth of Spinoza (24 November 1632) this month. By a happy coincidence, the great philosopher features in the current exhibition Alchemy on the Amstel with the facsimile of a letter he wrote to […]
The Ritman Library: ‘Alchemy on the Amstel’ exhibition. Early scientists vindicated Amsterdam boasted scores of alchemical laboratories in the 17th century. The Ritman Library is devoting an exhibition on the subject. An article by Henk Schutten | Het Parool, Thursday October 25, 2012. How successful they really were, the alchemists of the […]
THE RITMAN LIBRARY NEWSLETTER – OCTOBER 2012 RECENT MULTIMEDIA INITIATIVES | INFINITE FIRE WEBINAR SERIES I The Alchemy of the Amphitheatrum by Dr. P.J. Forshaw The 1st Infinite Fire Webinar is online! Dr. P.J. Forshaw of the Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, UvA shares his knowledge […]
Joyce Pijnenburg offers courses and lectures in the history of Hermetic and mystical philosophy, gnosticism, magic, and alchemy. Joyce is philosophical consultant, teacher and thesis coach for Bureau De Filosoof. She was previously employed as a PhD researcher at the Ritman Institute and the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and still teaches […]
What do Hermes, Plato, and the Kabbalah have to do with feminism? In this article I will give one of possible answers to this question. ABSTRACT Today the early modern humanist and magus Agrippa von Nettesheim (15th-16th century) is mostly known for his works Three Books on Occult Philosophy and […]
This week Ritman library founder Joost R. Ritman and his wife Rachel Ritman were together with library director Esther Oosterwijk-Ritman special guest at the International Scientific Conference: ‘Russia and the Gnosis: The Fates of the Religious-Philosophical Searches of Nikolai Novikov and his Circle’ The conference took place in Moscow, Russia from October […]
With the Infinite Fire Webinar Series, the Ritman Library and the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (GHF) of the University of Amsterdam have joined forces and are planting the seed for a Scholarly Hermetic Circle. As we announced at the beginning of September, in the […]
Today, the exhibition Alchemy on the Amstel – On Hermetic Medicine in the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic has opened its doors. In the past months curator Cis van Heertum together with curator José Bouman searched for manuscripts, sources and objects belonging to the Ritman library, Museum Boerhaave in Leiden […]
‘It is true! It is certain! It is the whole truth! That which is below is the same to that which is above and that which is above is the same to that which is below, in order that the wonders of the One shall be accomplished. As all things […]
Translation of Joost R. Ritman’s response to the laudatio delivered by prof. dr. Maria A. Schenkeveld-van der Dussen, chairwoman of the Arts Department of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, on being awarded the Academy’s Silver Medal on 13 May 2002. “Honourable chairman, governors, and members of […]
Alchemy on the Amstel: On Hermetic Medicine in the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic Exhibition in The Ritman Library 15 October 2012 – 17 May 2013 Prolonged until 20 September 2013! In the 17th century, many apothecaries not only sold pharmaceutical remedies made on the basis of medicinal plants but […]
Alchemie aan de Amstel: Over Hermetische Geneeskunst in de Gouden Eeuw Tentoonstelling in The Ritman Library van 15 oktober 2012 tot en met 17 mei 2013 In de 17e eeuw werden door veel apothekers naast medicijnen op basis van geneeskrachtige planten ook geneesmiddelen aangeboden die op alchemistische wijze waren verkregen: […]
On Friday 16 December 2011 the Ritman Library re-opened its doors after having been closed for a year. On this occasion Joost Ritman, the founder of the library, explained: ‘The library is like a ship in a storm, we have always tried to steer it to a safe and […]
The Ritman Library recently acquired the first – and only, according to Worldcat – edition of Les secrets esotériques dans Plutarque by Jean Mallinger (1904-1982), who was ‘Avocat près la cour d’appel de Bruxelles’, lawyer at the Court of Appeal in Brussels, as appears from the cover of this and another work by him […]
Western esotericism has been a pervasive presence in Western culture from late antiquity to the present day, but until recently it was largely ignored by scholars and surrounded by misconceptions and prejudice. This accessible guide provides readers with the basic knowledge and tools that will allow them to find their […]
The BPH recently managed to acquire some fifteen works by René Guénon to add to its collection of works by this French occultist. Among these works, which were written in the years 1909-1947, is an almost complete run of a periodical edited by Guénon, La Gnose (1909-1912). Guénon also published […]
Julius Sperber, Kabalisticae praecationes, das ist ausserlesene schöne Gebet, aus des Autoris lateinischem Exemplar ins Teutsche versetzt. Amsterdam, ‘für gute Freunde’ [s.n.], 1707 Although Julius Sperber (ca. 1540-1616) wrote works with a theological and mystical slant he was not a professional theologian: he acted as physician and counsellor to the […]
Jörg Völlnagel, Alchemie. Die königliche Kunst. München, Hirmer, 2012. The library recently acquired Vollnägel’s work on the royal art of alchemy, published by Hirmer Verlag. It is a beautiful and colourful book taking the reader on a journey through the Royal Art of Alchemy and its visual treasures. In the […]
As from today the Hermetically Open project is live and connected to the project is the Infinite Fire Webinar Series. With the Infinite Fire Webinar Series, the Ritman Library and the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (GHF) of the University of Amsterdam have joined forces and are […]
The Ritman Library is pleased to announce its patronage for the Colloquium Convivencia. L’Art de Vivre Ensemble; Christianisme Cathare, Soufisme, Kabbale, Psychologie de la Religion, Hermétisme 12 and 13 September 2012 de 14 à 18h Salle Osète – 6, rue du Lieutenant-Colonel Pélissier – […]
The Ritman Library is pleased to announce its patronage for the manifestation: Sabarthez, Cradle of Humanity. Exhibition and conferences Tarascon-sur-Ariège, 7-20 September Modern science has demonstrated that there are significant parallels between the laws governing the universe and the laws ruling the world, mankind, […]
The Ritman Library: House of Living Books Who am I? Why am I here? What is the source of existence? Answering these ‘big’ questions will probably take a lifetime, though they are central to our lives. The Hermetically Open Project is based on an open and living tradition. In […]
Last week I re-read Helmut Krausser’s novel Melodien (Melodies, 1993), and realized once again that the “hermetic” dimension of modern literature is a highly important but seriously under-investigated topic. Krausser’s book is a masterpiece of modern German literature, and as far as I’m concerned it should be on the standard […]
I Entering the Universel Murad Hassil in Katwijk we see the founding stone on which the following aforism of Hazrat Inayat Khan is written: “Our soul is blessed with the glory of God every time our lips praise Him.” So just saying the name of God brings great blessing. That […]
Dr. H.J. Witteveen was born on June 12, 1921, in Zeist, Netherlands. He was educated at the Netherlands School of Economics in Rotterdam and received his doctoral degree in 1947. 1948 to 1963 Professor of Business Cycles and Economics at the Netherlands School of Economics in Rotterdam 1963 to […]
Article by Claudia Kammer – PHILOSOPHY. The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica long risked being dispersed. Now, the widely acclaimed collection of Joost Ritman is once again accessible. ‘This is an embassy of the free spirit’. The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam has two bronze busts representing Cosimo de’ Medici and his […]
Translation of Joost R. Ritman’s response to the laudatio delivered by prof. dr. Maria A. Schenkeveld-van der Dussen, chairwoman of the Arts Department of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, on being awarded the Academy’s Silver Medal on 13 May 2002. Honourable chairman, governors, and members of the Academy, ladies […]
December 16, 2011 was an important day for the study of Hermeticism and related currents. After a year of disaster, in which the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica came close to extinction, the library re-opened its doors to the public and celebrated that event with a new exhibition, Infinite Fire. It was […]
From the beginning of the Christian era, the Christian-Hermetic body of thought collected by the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica has played a role in the West alongside the institutionalized religions, encouraging man to explore the secrets of nature and his place within creation, thereby attaining knowledge of God and himself. […]
Wouter J. Hanegraaff (1961) is Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents at the University of Amsterdam. He studied music (classical guitar) at the Municipal Conservatory of Zwolle, and Cultural History at the University of Utrecht, where he specialized in the study of alternative spiritual movements during the […]