The Mystery Traditions - Secret Symbols and Sacred Art Previously Entitled Art and Symbols of the Occult

A beautifully illustrated lexicon of the major symbology of the great esoteric traditions

• Includes a new chapter on secret societies and their role in safeguarding and transmitting of esoteric knowledge

• Includes a full-color reproduction of the medieval alchemical masterpiece Splendor Solis

Symbol in the esoteric sense is not to be confused with allegory; symbolic images are the alphabet of the "theory of correspondences" that underlies all the Mystery traditions of the West. This theory recognizes the interdependent relationship of all things and provides, for example, the basis of the belief that the position of the stars in the heavens will influence our thought, emotion, and perception. It also explains how the alchemist’s work with base metals will result in a transformation of his own consciousness.

In The Mystery Traditions James Wasserman offers a full-color lexicon of occult imagery drawn from the Kabb