Giorgio Vasari naît le 30 juillet 1511 ; il s'éteint le 27 juin 1574. À la fin de l'année 1554, il entre au service de Cosme Ier de Médicis, duc de Florence, et se voit rapidement confier la responsabilité des travaux de transformation du Palais de la Seigneurie en Palais Ducal. L'artiste livre les clefs de lecture du cycle pictural déployé sur les plafonds et les murs du célèbre monument florentin, connu sous le nom de Palazzo Vecchio, dans une oeuvre peu étudiée : Ragionamenti del Sig. Cavaliere Giorgio Vasari, pittore et architetto aretino, sopra le invenzioni da lui dipinte in Firenze nel Palazzo di loro Altezze Serenissime. Rédigé entre 1558 et 1567, mais publié à titre posthume seulement en 1588, ce texte met en scène Giorgio Vasari et le prince François Ier de Médicis, fils aîné de Cosme Ier et d'Éléonore de Tolède. Sous une plume ekphrastique, au sein de laquelle le mot et l'image s'unissent, l'artiste compose un dialogue distribué sur trois journées et conduit dans trois lieux emblématiques du palais : le Quartier des Éléments, le Quartier de Léon X et la Salle des Cinquecento. L'intérêt de cet ouvrage réside dans les différents niveaux de lecture comme dans les différents "dialogues" qu'il suppose. Si la réécriture de certains épisodes mythologiques, mis en relation directe avec l'histoire de la dynastie médicéenne, participe du dessein officiel de l'oeuvre, à savoir la glorification ducale, le mythe prélude, en raison de son appartenance à un univers ésotérique, à une lecture dérobée du texte vasarien qui, au-delà de servir le règne médicéen, révèle une aura mémorielle nous invitant à appréhender I Ragionamenti de Giorgio Vasari comme un édifice de la Mémoire. / Giorgio Vasari was born on 30 July 1511 ; he died on 27 June 1574. At the end of 1554, he starts to be on the service of Cosimo I de' Medici, the Duke of Florence and he quickly sees himself entrusted with the transformation works of the seigneurial palace into a ducal one. The artist delivers the reading guides of the pictorial cycle deployed on the ceilings and the walls of the famous Florentine monument known as Palazzo Vecchio, in Ragionamenti del Sig. Cavaliere Giorgio Vasari, pittore e architetto aretino, sopra le invenzioni da lui dipinte in Firenze nel Palazzo di loro Altezze Serenissime, a little-known and little-studied work. Written between 1558 and 1567, but only posthumous published in 1588, this text stages Giorgio Vasari and Prince Francesco I de' Medici, the elder son of Cosimo I and Eleonora di Toledo. Under a descriptive hand, in which the word and the image unite, the artist composes a dialogue spread over three days and lead in three emblematic places of the palace: the Elements Area, the Leo X Quarter and the Cinquecento Room. The interest of this work lies in the different reading levels as in the different "dialogues" that it means to suggest. If the rewriting of some mythological episodes, directly viewed in relation to the history of the Medici dysnasty, contributes to the official aim of the work - namely the ducal glorification - the myth preludes, owing to its belonging to an esoteric world, a hidden reading of the Vasarian text that, beyond serving the Medici reign, reveals a memory aura inviting us to comprehend Giorgio Vasari's Ragionamenti as an edifice of Memory.

Esoterismens förekomst i konst- och kulturlivet i Sverige är särskilt utmärkande under sekelskiftet. Fenomenet har tidigare funnits i samhället men genom lagstiftningar marginaliserats till det övre samhällsskiktet och därmed förbjöds allmänheten från sådana praktiker. Esoteriska praktiker och idéer om verkligheten kan däremot spåras i modernismens konstnärliga rörelser som symbolism och abstrakt konst. Hilma af Klint var en av de konstnärerna som praktiserade esoterism och förmedlade dess ideologier i sina verk. Uppsatsens syfte är att lyfta fram fenomenet i konst under sekelskiftet och studera hur det etablerades, samt vilken effekt hade det i konst-och kulturlivet? Hur kom de esoteriska influenserna till uttryck i konst? Hur kan dess effekter spåras i ett konstnärskap? Uppsatsen utgörs av två huvudkapitel, som undersöker den esoteriska kontexten, budskapsförmedlingen i konstverk samt dess effekt i af Klints konstnärskap. Undersökningen visar att esoterism spreds till följd av modernitetens innovationer. De skapade de rätta förutsättningarna för esoterismens etablering och influerande i konst-och kulturlivet under tiden. Kultursfärens transnationella resor bidrog också till approprierande av esoteriska idéer i andra europeiska länder, som inte begränsades av lagstiftningar. Sådana idéer togs med hem till Sverige och spreds. Det abstraherade bildspråket i konstverken är sprungen ur esoteriska praktiker som seanser och automatism, samt dess verklighetsföreställningar. Därför kan bildspråket anses vara symbolladdat och refererande. Sådan konst kräver en betraktare initierad i de esoteriska visdomarna för uttolkningen av det symboliska meddelandet. Den insikten resulterade i slutsatsen att marginaliseringen av esoterismen till övresamhällsskiktet var med syftet att bevara den visdomen bland invigda i de esoteriska kunskaperna. Konstnärer som af Klint etablerade inom den kontexten, bör således omvärderas från enbart abstrakta, till möjligen missionerande spirituella sådana, som sökte återge och etablera esoteriska ideologier.

ENG Esotericism and Occultism in the Italian Literature of the Early Twentieth Century The purpose of this research is to bring contribution to the branch of academic studies dedicated to Western Esotericism with aim to clarify the relationship between this literary field and culture in general. Numerous studies were made in this area of research, specifically tackling the influence of Esotericism on modern and contemporary literature. The goal was to show, in particular, the contribution Italian authors had to establishing of esoteric directions in literature, throughout a limited time-span (last decades of the 19th until the early 20th century). The research, based mainly upon concrete examples and documented resources, portrays the attempt of many writers and entire cultural trends in Italy, during the period considered, to adopt an original approach to expressing themselves, one which will in turn help them to overcome the literary boundaries of that time. This direction found fruitful ground and rooted itself in the esoteric culture, the occult sciences, in the lyrical dimension of dreams and of the unconscious. This study shows the relationship between esotericism and Italian science and culture scene between "fin de siècle and avant-garde", with emphasis on the undeniable influence the...

Abstract. The overall aim of this study is to examine the Neo-Gnostic teachings of Samael Aun Weor (1917-1977). The research question will inquire his main ideas in relation to syncretism, cosmology, and sexology. Accordingly, based on the theoretical perspectives of Antoine Faivre, the gnostic doctrine of Samael Aun Weor is summarized, compared and examined in the light of the definitions of western esotericism. The purpose is on one hand to make an exploration of a relatively unknown esoteric author and on the other hand to place his vast teachings and interpretations within the esoteric context and in relation to the new era discourse. Methodically, a qualitative text analysis will be used to explore several books written by Samael Aun Weor which are further analysed with the help of secondary sources. The study concludes that the Neo-Gnostic ideology of Samael Aun Weor, despite being placed by scholars within the new era discourse, additionally matches within the framework of classical esotericism and that furthermore reveals revived and combined perspectives with interpretations that have seldom been transmitted before.

Magic in the period of Judaism of the second temple and early Christianity Abstract The presented work focuses on the history of esotericism in the period of the Second Temple of Judaism and early Christianity, and shows the cultural intersections of magical and religious communities as well as individuals who have studied the art of magic. It points out the main sources of their magical and religious teachings and the origin of magic and magical thinking. It traces the main roots of both religion and magic and describes the development of magical practices in that specifical period of the time. Furthermore, after a small analysis, a comparison is made of the five basic cultures living in the territory of the "fertile crescent" just at the time of the Second Temple and their magic. There is also a detailed discussion on the field of demonology and some personalities of the time who were obviously dealing with magic and also how the magic circle of protection was blessed and magicaly activated. The first part describes all of the available magical disciplines and techniques that a mortal can come into contact with during the Second Temple in the region known as "Fertile Crescent". All the disciplines I mention in my work were already known at the time of the Second Temple, but some of them were not that...

Magic in the period of Judaism of the second temple and early Christianity Abstract The presented work focuses on the history of esotericism in the period of the Second Temple of Judaism and early Christianity, and shows the cultural intersections of magical and religious communities as well as individuals who have studied the art of magic. It points out the main sources of their magical and religious teachings and the origin of magic and magical thinking. It traces the main roots of both religion and magic and describes the development of magical practices in that specifical period of the time. Furthermore, after a small analysis, a comparison is made of the five basic cultures living in the territory of the "fertile crescent" just at the time of the Second Temple and their magic. There is also a detailed discussion on the field of demonology and some personalities of the time who were obviously dealing with magic. The first part describes all of the available magical disciplines and techniques that a mortal can come into contact with during the Second Temple in the region known as "Fertile Crescent". All the disciplines I mention in my work were already known at the time of the Second Temple, but some of them were not that developed, so they were expanded or were elaborated on in a later period. A...

The purpose of this work is to explore the interactions between occultism and scholarly Egyptology from 1875 to 1930. Within this timeframe, numerous esoteric groups formed that centered their ideologies on conceptions of ancient Egyptian knowledge. In order to legitimize their belief systems based on ancient Egyptian wisdom, esotericists attempted to become authoritative figures on Egypt. This process heavily impacted Western intellectualism not only because occult conceptions of Egypt became increasingly popular, but also because esotericists intruded into academia or attempted to overshadow it. In turn, esotericists and Egyptologists both utilized the influx of new information from Egyptological studies to shape their identities, consolidate their ideologies, and maintain authority on the value of ancient Egyptian knowledge. This thesis follows the Egypt-centered developments of the Freemasons, the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley's A∴A∴, the Theosophical Society, the Anthroposophical Society, and the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis to demonstrate that esotericism evolved simultaneously with academia as a body of knowledge. By examining these fraternal occult groups' interactions with Egyptology, it can be better understood how esotericism has affected Western intellectualism, how ideologies form in response to new information, and the effects of becoming an authority on bodies of knowledge (in particular Egyptological knowledge). In turn, embedded in this work is a challenge to those who have downplayed or overlooked the agency of esotericists in shaping the Western intellectual tradition and preserving the legacy of ancient Egypt.

This essay studies the historical phenomenon of dog-headed men (cynocephaly) andSaint Christopher who is in eastern-orthodox iconography depicted as a dog headedman. The study argues that a symbolic and phenomenological perspective is preferredto understand mythical figures with “unnatural” depictions. In order to reach aconclusion about the symbolic meaning behind dog-headed men and SaintChristopher, the human experience of dogs and their role in our world is examined indetail to construct a theory concerning their symbolism. The theory is then applied todepictions of dogs and dog-headed men in religious stories and images as well ashistorical accounts to see if the theory fits the facts.The study concludes that dog-headed men and Saint Christopher symbolize a kind of“guardian of the border”. What it means to guard the border has different implicationsdepending on if the dog-headed man is depicted in a Christian or non-Christiancontext. When reading the story of Saint Christopher with this pattern in mind, thereason for his legendary depiction is revealed. The conclusion is supported bycomparing Saint Christopher to stories from the bible which symbolize “the rolewhich the border can play as a part of the whole”. The dog-headed men of history, thesaint and the biblical stories all reinforce the symbolism of each other, revealing thedeeper meaning behind the wild, peripheral side of Christianity.

With this essay my aim is to uncover the content in the discography of the Swedish Black Metal act Watain in respect to lyrically expressed religious themes revolving around the tendencies within occulture and the Black Metal scene. To investigate the matter I have combined quantitative and qualitative analysis methods from the fields of corpus linguistics as well as content analysis, which provided me with an array of key words and their respective concordances (Key Word In Context, KWIC) in the texts. Through the analysis three overlapping main themes became apparent: satanism, gnosticism and finally apocalypticism. I described each of the themes in detail based on my linguistic findings in the corpus so as to yield a deeper understanding of the religious symbols communicated in the material and their interrelationship. The result was that neither one of these could be explained in isolation as they are all part of a larger system of philosophy, namely the esoteric movement chaos-gnosticism tied to the Swedish order Temple of the Black Light, but also products of occulture. The discussion proved that, although satanism may seem to be the thematical centerpoint in Watain’s lyrics, it is not, as this is a far too simple conclusion in relation to the complexity of the results. Instead, the content requires to be understood in terms of the dark Left-Hand Path spirituality as well as the occultural melting pot of paranormal and occult ideas. / <p>För att få tillgång till mitt korpus och mina korpusresultat hänvisar jag till min privata e-post adress hans.jonsall@gmail.com alternativt att man kontaktar mig via sociala medier.</p>

My doctoral thesis focuses on the Christian Kabbalah and its relationship with its Jewish counterpart during the seventeenth century. I work especially on a Christian Kabbalist of the late 17th century, Christian Knorr von Rosenroth and his anthology of Christian Kabbalah called the "Kabbala Denudata." The work reflects the philosophical and religious debates of the 17th century (through Knorr’s collaboration with Henry More and the Belgian alchemist Francis Mercury van Helmont), includes many translations of works of Lurianic Kabbalah and a bilingual edition (Aramaic - Latin) of the Zohar. On one hand, the study of "Kabbala Denudata" sheds light on how the Lurianic Kabbalah was received in Europe in the 17th century. On the other hand, the anthology attests of a practice of "perennial philosophy" which is a continuation of the Renaissance thought. Through the use of symbolism, the author elaborates a new form of relationship with the religious orthodoxy of his time and paved the way to a deeper understanding of religious otherness. My research takes place both in the field of the study of Jewish-Christian relations and of the the study of western esotericism. / <p><p>Ma thèse de doctorat porte sur la kabbale chrétienne et sur ses rapports avec son homologue juive au 17e siècle. Je travaille en particulier sur un kabbaliste chrétien de la fin du 17e siècle, Christian Knorr von Rosenroth et son anthologie de kabbale chrétienne intitulée la "Kabbala denudata". L’œuvre reflète les débats philosophiques et religieux du 17e siècle (avec notamment des collaborations d’Henry More et de l’alchimiste belge François Mercure van Helmont), comporte de nombreuses traductions d’ouvrages de kabbale lourianique ainsi qu’une édition bilingue (araméen - latin) du Zohar. D’une part, l’étude de la "Kabbala denudata" permet de mieux comprendre la manière dont la kabbale lourianique a été reçue en Europe au 17e siècle. D’autre part, l’anthologie atteste d’une pratique de la "philosophia perennis" qui s’inscrit dans le prolongement de la Renaissance. À travers la pratique du symbolisme, l’auteur construit une nouvelle forme de rapports avec l’orthodoxie religieuse de son temps et ouvre la voie à une compréhension approfondie de l’altérité religieuse. Mes recherches s’inscrivent tant dans le domaine de l’étude des relations judéo-chrétiennes que de l’étude de l’ésotérisme. / Doctorat en Philosophie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished