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The Ritman Research Institute strives to create opportunities for scholarly exchange through lectures, conferences, round tables and other events. To further stimulate conversation in the academic community, videos of our events will appear here.
Lecture: Wouter Hanegraaff, 20 October 2022, “Hermetic Spirituality and Altered States of Knowledge”
In this lecture, Wouter Hanegraaff will talk about his new book Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination: Altered States of Knowledge in Late Antiquity (Cambridge University Press 2022). The Hermetic literature has mostly been interpreted as philosophical treatises about theological topics, but Hanegraaff challenges this dominant narrative. He wants to demonstrate that, in fact, it was concerned with powerful experiential practices intended for healing the soul from mental delusion. The “Way of Hermes” involved radical alterations of consciousness in which practitioners claimed to perceive the true nature of reality behind the hallucinatory veil of appearances. Hanegraaff will explain how they went through a training regime that involved luminous visions, exorcism, spiritual rebirth, cosmic consciousness, and union with the divine beauty of universal goodness and truth. The final goal was to attain the salvational knowledge known as gnosis.
Read more about Wouter Hanegraaff
Lecture: Emile Schrijver, “The Book Culture of the First Generations of Portuguese Jewish Refugees in Amsterdam”, 10 November 2022 (keynote for “Amsterdam as Haven” Conference)
The first Portuguese Jews reached the city of Amsterdam at the end of the sixteenth century. In the course of the decades that followed they developed a unique book culture that reflected the complexities of the escape of Iberian Jewry from the Peninsula more than a century earlier in many different ways. This lecture will discuss the calligraphy and typography, the multiculturalism, the politics and the complex interrelation with pre-expulsion Jewry of a unique Amsterdam Portuguese-Jewish book culture.
Read more about Emile Schrijver
Lectures Ritman Research Institute
Learn more about the speakers of our past activities.
John Ó Maoilearca
John Ó Maoilearca is Honorary Professor in the Department of Critical and Historical Studies at Kingston University, London, having previously lectured in philosophy departments at the University of Sunderland, England, and the University of Dundee, Scotland. He has published twelve books, including (as author), Bergson and Philosophy (1999), Post-Continental Philosophy (2006), Philosophy and the Moving Image (2010), and All Thoughts Are Equal (2015). His latest work, Vestiges of a Philosophy, examines the convergence of ideas between a philosopher (Henri Bergson) and a mystic (his sister, Mina Bergson) during the Belle Époque in order to tackle themes in contemporary materialist philosophy, spiritualism, memory studies, and the relationship between mysticism and philosophy.
Wouter Hanegraaff
Wouter J. Hanegraaff (1961) is Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an honorary member of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE).
Lectures: “Hermetic Spirituality and Altered States of Knowledge” - 20 October 2022
Emile Schrijver
Emile Schrijver is the General Director of the Jewish Cultural Quarter in Amsterdam and professor in the history of the Jewish book at the University of Amsterdam. He is also Curator of the Braginsky Collection of Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books in Zurich, Switzerland and General Editor of the Encyclopedia of Jewish Book Cultures.
Koert Debeuf
Dr. Koert Debeuf is a professor Middle East Studies at the Brussels University (VUB). He holds a PhD in Philosophy (VUB) and a MA in Ancient History (Universities of Leuven and Bologna). His doctorate studied the influence of Arabic philosophy on European philosophy and why this disappeared from the European books of history of philosophy. From 2011 tot 2016 Debeuf lived and worked in Cairo as an envoy of the Liberal and Democrat group in the European Parliament. It gave him the opportunity to travel intensively in the Arab world, and also to study Islamic history. From 2003 to 2008 Debeuf was strategic advisor, speechwriter and spokesperson of the Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. After 2016, he was director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy Europe and Editor in Chief of the EUobserver. He has written several books on politics and geopolitics. His book “Tribalization. Why war is coming” (2018) was translated into Arabic and Japanese. His last book “Waarom dit niet de laatste oorlog is. Over de psychologie van internationale conflicten” (2022) was translated into French. Debeuf is often asked as an analyst on geopolitics in international media.
Lectures: "The Renaissance started in Baghdad | Koert Debeuf, Professor Middle East Studies, Brussels University - 13 April 2023"
SpeakersAmsterdam as Haven for Religious Refugees in the Early Modern Period
10-12 November 2022
(Image: Participants of the Conference)
In the 17th century Amsterdam became a hotbed of religious exchange, as religious exiles from all over the continent flocked to the Netherlands and especially its capital city because of relatively lax laws on religious expression and publishing. One center of such exchange was the so-called House with the Heads on Keizersgracht, the home of Louis de Geer and later his son Laurens. Both men acted as patrons to a variety of religious free thinkers and reformers. Figures such as Jan Comenius, Friedrich Breckling and Christian Hoburg gathered in the de Geer home to discuss their ideas. Today, the House with the Heads is home to the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica and its associated museum, the Embassy of the Free Mind. We hosted a conference 11-12 November 2022 on the role of Amsterdam as a haven for religious refugees.
Over two days, a group of international experts explored different groups’ or individuals’ experiences (Jews, Radical Pietists, Huguenots, etc.), the role of publishing in the city, patronage, conflicts between groups, urban versus rural strategies for survival, the role of war in the era and other related topics. The conference took place on-site, but also accommodated speakers from afar through digital connection. Likewise, the public attended both in person or remotely. A conference publication will be published soon.
If you would like to take a look at the program, you can download the Conference Program here.
Conference report
Amsterdam as Haven for Religious Refugees in the Early Modern Period
10-12 November, 2022
Ritman Research Insitute: Embassy of the Free Mind
Keizsersgracht 123, Amsterdam
By Corey Andrews
PhD Candidate, University of Amsterdam
Junior Researcher, Ritman Research Institute
You can either read the conference report on our page down below or download the conference report here.
In the Early Modern Period, Europe was rife with confessional disagreement and religious persecution. The escalating conflicts between various belief systems reached an apogee in the Thirty Years’ War. During such tumult, where was a Huguenot, a Jew, a Quaker, an Anabaptist, or a spiritualist mystic to reside, worship freely, write, or publish their work? One of the most important cities for religious exiles and refugees in the period was Amsterdam.
From November 10-12, 2022 the Ritman Research Institute in Amsterdam hosted an international conference dedicated to exploring the theme of “Amsterdam as Haven for Religious Refugees in the Early Modern Period.” The conference kicked off on Thursday evening with opening remarks by Dr. Lucinda Martin, Director of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica and Ritman Research Institute. She emphasized that the “House with the Heads” -- the 17th century canal house in which the Research Institute, library and associated museum, the Embassy of the Free Mind resides -- served in the Early Modern Period as a haven for dissidents and as an intellectual and religious melting pot, attracting reformers such as Jan Amos Comenius (1592-1670), Christian Hoburg (1607-1675) and Friedrich Breckling (1629-1711).
Martin was followed by the conference’s keynote speaker, Dr. Emile Schrijver, General Director of the Jewish Historical Quarter in Amsterdam. Schrijver’s address focused on “The Book Culture of the first Generations of Portuguese Jewish Refugees in Amsterdam.” This history begins with Menasseh Ben Israel (1604-1657), among the first Portuguese Jews to immigrate to Amsterdam in the early seventeenth century. Importantly, Menassah founded the first Jewish-owned Hebrew printing press in Amsterdam. In developing the press in 1626, Menasseh of course had to develop a script and typeface for the letters. His typeface became very well-known and set the standard for Hebrew printing in Europe. His work thus played an important role in making Amsterdam a center for the publication of Hebrew literature during the period. As Schrijver demonstrated, Menassah was involved in all of the roles associated with early Amsterdam book printing, including agent, dealer, producer, author, and of course reader.
The morning of day two began with a guided historical tour of the building, followed by a rare book tour of some of the rarest and most relevant treasures from the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica collection. The group looked at writings by Quakers, Anabaptists, the mystical philosopher Jacob Böhme, Johann Georg Gichtel, Baruch Spinoza, Menasseh Ben Israel, and others. Lively discussion ensued during the tour and each participant’s expertise helped foster an environment of enthusiasm for the content of the conference; a microcosm of the broader city’s macrocosm of different expertise, cultural backgrounds and viewpoints coming together in fruitful dialogue.
The first session of day two focused on “cities as spaces for refugees” and was moderated by Bart Wallet (University of Amsterdam). The first presenter for this session was Dr. Susanne Lachenicht, (University of Bayreuth, Germany). The well-known scholar of refugee studies delivered a paper on “Refugee Cities in 16th and 17th Century Europe,” in which she provided a general context for discussing Amsterdam as a haven for religious refugees. Lachenicht discussed the climate of tolerance (or lack thereof) in London, Hamburg, Emden, and Amsterdam. Importantly, she problematized the idea that Amsterdam was as tolerant as present-day wishful thinking commonly presumes. For example, there were no laws in place ensuring the protection of these refugees, but more of an “understanding” based on factors such as utilitarianism, economic opportunity, and Christian compassion. Lachenicht’s paper argued convincingly that any self-fashioning of a city as tolerant requires careful comparative investigation, and that scholars should be specific about the application of these terms.
The next paper, “Jewish Advocacy,” was given by Hans Wallage, PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam. Wallage focused on the role and influence of the first arriving groups of Sephardic refugees in Amsterdam in 1590. Before the arrival of these Spanish and Portuguese Jews, Amsterdam had never experienced the presence of a large “visible” Jewish population. Wallage showed that many of these Jewish refugees and/or migrants commonly introduced themselves as “Portuguese merchants” (as opposed to “refugees”), and due to their international connections, were able to lobby successfully with the Amsterdam and Haarlem city councils to adjust laws and, especially, to block repressive ones. Thus, Wallage demonstrated that the climate of tolerance for these early Sephardic refugees and migrants was in fact partially created by the group itself through its own advocacy.
The final paper of this session was by Stephanie Bode, a PhD candidate from Augsburg University. Her contribution, titled “Le Refuge & l’Azile de toutes les Nations” focused on the construction of Amsterdam as a haven for religious refugees in publications in the period 1680-1715. Like Lachenicht, Bode problematized the idea of Amsterdam as a haven by indicating important exceptions to this often casually used terminology. She showed that in many Amsterdam prints, especially those favoring Louis XIV, Catholic France was portrayed as the ideal haven for religious refugees. Thus, French Catholic printers and Dutch Protestant ones fought a kind of proxy battle over which place, France or the Netherlands, could really be considered a “haven.” This is but one example of how the first session provoked issues surrounding terminology: When is someone a migrant and not a refugee, and vice versa? And when can we really use the term “haven”?
The second session was chaired by Heide Warncke, Curator of the Ets Haim Library in Amsterdam. Kyra Gerber, (University of Amsterdam & Ritman Research Institute) was the first presenter for this session. Gerber’s talk, “The Peculiar Ordinary” was devoted to a microhistory of everyday Jewish life in Amsterdam in the 17th and 18th centuries. She recounted the fascinating tale of a journey undertaken by a Jewish settler in Amsterdam named Elias Joseph Goldt, an educated member of the Ashkenazi community. Goldt was given special permission to venture to Calumbria to retrieve items needed for the Jewish thanksgiving ritual called Sukkot (Lulavim and Etrogiem). Although given special permission by Charles VI for the travel and permitted as well to carry weapons for defense, Goldt did not manage to return to Amsterdam, probably perishing along the way. The story of Elias is one of many examples of how the Jewish community struggled to maintain their customs in a foreign environment.
Next, Florian Wiesner (University of Edinburgh) gave a paper titled Señores de la Cofradía de Holanda, which discussed Amsterdam and the Jewish diaspora in the 17th century Spanish Empire. Wiesner’s contribution examined the 1634 inquisition trials of the Jewish-descended population of Cartagena de Indias in modern-day Colombia (who had converted to Christianity). At the heart of the trials lay accusations that individuals in this population had relapsed into their ancestral religion and were conspiring with the Dutch trade companies through an ultimately fictional organization called Compañía de Holanda. In essence, Wiesner provided a perceptive glimpse not so much into processes within Amsterdam so much as the city of Amsterdam’s role in the world and especially its role within the perceptions of the Spanish empire and its inquisitors.
Daniel Rafiqi (King’s College, London) gave a paper titled “That Town I Yearned For: Representations of Arrival in Huguenot Refugees’ Autobiographical Writings, 1686-1712.” The paper focused on arrival experiences of French Huguenots in Amsterdam as depicted in their own biographical and literary writings. Rafiqi juxtaposed passages from two arrival accounts. The first, by Alexandre Savois, who expressed “unbridled joy” upon his arrival, whereas the second, by Anne du Noyer was characterized by a much more sober account of difficulty, partly because she donned a disguise as a cook’s male apprentice. Overall, these stories concentrated on the personal experiences of happiness, fear or disorientation in moving to a new location.
Rafiqi’s paper closed the final session of Friday, which was followed in the late afternoon by a walking tour of “Radical Amsterdam.” The walking route stopped by homes of important authors such as Jan Amos Comenius, Christian Hoburg, Friedrich Breckling, as well as locations for printing presses responsible for the publication of many works by these religious exiles and refugees.
The first session of Saturday, the final day of the conference, was chaired by Nina Schroeder (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). The first presenter was Leigh T.I. Penman (Monash, Australia), who presented a talk titled “Books in Exile,” which dealt with German-language anti-clerical printing. Penman made the case that more focus should be devoted to individuals involved in printing anti-clerical works as opposed to the printing industry as a whole, and not only in Amsterdam but also in Leiden. For Penman, the “crucial decade” for the printing of anti-clerical works was the 1620s. Specifically, Penman looked at the theosopher, political theorist, and diplomat Johann Angelus Werdenhagen, who was an important source for Abraham von Beyerland’s translations of the works of German mystic Jacob Böhme (1575-1624). One of the surprises of the conference, Penman was able to correct older scholarship and show that an early Böhme print was published at Leiden, most likely at Werdenhagen’s behest.
Following Penman, Andreas Pietsch (University of Münster) gave the paper “A Hub in a Network of Dissent,” which discussed Amsterdam’s role in the publication of Hiël’s mystical treatises around 1700. “Hiël” was the pseudonym for the Dutch mystic Hendrik Jansen van Barrefelt (d. 1594). Hiël’s works became popular at the start of the 18th century when a long eulogy of his religious insights were published in the highly influential Impartial History of the Church and Heretics (1700) by pietist historian Gottfried Arnold. However, as Pietsch argued, this reception was the climax rather than the start of Hiël’s popularity. Long before 1700, German speakers all over Central Europe had Hiël in their libraries. The increasing number of German religious refugees in Amsterdam played a pivotal role in repopularising Hiël’s mystical treatises and prompted their republication beginning around 1687/90. German spiritualist exiles such as Friedrich Breckling and Loth Fischer and the Quaker Jacob Claus played key roles in distributing Hiël’s works to a German audience, raising interesting questions for researchers about connections between older dissenting literature and its reception and influence in the 17th century.
The session continued with a paper by Victoria Franke (Enschede) on the exiled German spiritualist Friedrich Breckling (1629-1711). An important networker among 17th century reforming circles, Breckling is also connected to the “House with the Heads” where the conference took place. Born at the height of the Thirty Years’ War, Breckling spoke out against corruption in the Lutheran church and especially its involvement in war. His opposition led to dismissal from his church post and eventually flight to the Netherlands. During his stay in Amsterdam, Breckling was supported by the de Geer family, owners of the House with the Heads and patron of the Moravian exile John Amos Comenius. Franke’s analysis of Breckling’s Catalogus Testium Veritatis (1700) traced the outlines of the radical pietist community in the Dutch Republic at the turn of the 18th century.
Rounding out the session, John Exalto (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) presented on the Latin school of Johann Amos Comenius (1592-1670) in Amsterdam in the 17th century with special focus on his pansophic, didactic, and chiliastic efforts. After being exiled from his native land of Moravia in the Czech lands, Comenius became a sort of wandering philosopher, theologian, and pedagogue in exile. After becoming famous for his Janua linguarum reserata (The Door of Languages Unlocked, 1629), a textbook used for teaching Latin, he was invited to come to Amsterdam and stay in the House with the Heads under patronage of Louis de Geer.
Exalto also focused on the interactions Comenius had with his teaching assistant, Johann Jacob Redinger, an exiled preacher from Switzerland. Exalto’s contribution shed important light on the position of Comenius and Redinger in Amsterdam and European-wide networks of religious and educational reformers by exploring Comenius’ Latin School and the significance of this institution for his broader educational and pansophic efforts.
The next session, and the final one of the conference, was chaired by Andreas Pietsch (Münster). The first presenter was Miriam van Veen, professor of early modern church history at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. Veen’s talk, “The Divine Gift of the Van den Corput Sisters: Reformed Women in Search of a Home,” told the fascinating story of the Van den Corput sisters who fled with their family from outbreaks of religious violence in the Low Countries and went to Duisburg and its surroundings. Veen analyzed the correspondence network which permitted the family to keep in touch during this time as well as the role played by the sisters in their Reformed refugee communities in the 16th century. Interestingly, the sisters interpreted their migration experience in terms of biblical narratives, and in fact had a rather positive view towards it. Veen emphasized that female migrants in the early modern period are largely understudied. She also introduced the hitherto unexpressed notion that migration, even sometimes under unfavorable circumstances, does not always have to be perceived as a traumatic or difficult process.
Francesco Quatrini (University College Dublin) followed with a talk that also took letters as the source material, “Unitarian Letters from Exile: The Polish Brethren between Betrayal, Liberty, and the Needs of a Banished Church (c. 1658-1668).” Quatrini’s contribution was the only one dealing with the “Polish Brethren and Sisters,” also known as Socinians or Unitarians. Their story is one of persecution, banishment, and eventual disappearance. After their stronghold in Raków was destroyed in 1638 due to charges of blasphemy, and two royal decrees later in 1658 and 1659 resulted in their banishment, many of the leaders moved to Amsterdam. Quatrini discussed letters sent by three of these exiled leaders, specifically their attempts to obtain assistance, financial and otherwise, from Remonstrants and Collegiants in Amsterdam. Quatrini’s contribution shed new light on the significant role played by other Christian dissenting groups for the Unitarians in exile.
The conference’s final contribution came from Mike Driedger (Brock University, Canada) on “Digital Evidence of Amsterdam as a City of Refuge or Contributors to the Growing Book Industry during ‘the Golden Age’: The eCartico Website.” Driedger introduced an online repository for looking into the names, family history, publication history and related information of early modern Dutch dissenters and provided some examples of how digital tools can be used by humanities scholars. The ‘eCartico’ website and similar digitization efforts offer promising new directions for experts and lay persons alike to do research into intellectual, socio-cultural, and family histories in the early modern period. At the same time, the presentation sparked a discussion about the reliability of the data that such tools use.
The conference brought to light important new evidence about Amsterdam’s role in welcoming those with dissenting opinions – a historical phenomenon that has led to Amsterdam being called the “birthplace of liberalism” (Russell Shorto). At the same time, the conference cautioned us to not accept labels carelessly. Although Amsterdam surely was a haven, refuges still faced many challenges in the city. And while some refugees cultivated the label “refugee” or “exile” because it helped them to receive patronage, others found it favorable to represent themselves in other ways. Historians must ask themselves, when is it appropriate to categorize a person as an exile, migrant, or refugee? With this conference, as in the 17th century, the “House with the Heads” has provided a forum for freethinking and the exchange of new ideas.
Conferenceshttps://embassyofthefreemind.com
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Last Edited on 2020-07-24
Frequently Asked Questions about the Embassy of the Free Mind
Questions about purchased tickets
Questions about the reading room
The EFM is open every Wednesday till Saturday from 10:00h - 17:00h and Sunday from 11:00h - 18:00h.
What are your admission rates?
We have the following rates:
Day pass adults € 15.00
Day ticket students € 8.50
Day ticket children 11-18 years € 6.00
Day ticket children up to 10 years free
Visitors with a youth ticket are expected to show proof of age at the entrance of the museum. Students are expected to show a valid college card at the museum entrance.
Our house rules can be found here.
I have a Museumkaart/Stadspas/I amsterdam City Card/ICOM card. Do I also have to book a ticket via the website?
No, that is not necessary. Admission is free with a Museumkaart, I amsterdam City Card, ICOM card, Stadspas and EFM friends card.
Museum Card and EFM Friends Cards are available at the museum desk. The VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART and the Rembrandtkaart are not valid.
Do I also have free admission with the VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART or the Rembrandtkaart?
No, you do not have free admission with these cards.
When is the next exhibition?
Information about the current and next exhibition can be found here.
Can I book a guided tour?
Yes and we even recommend it because you will learn a lot that way. We offer daily general tours at 10:30h.
These can be booked through the website or you can book spontaneously on the spot. There are also special tours in the afternoon, such as about the history of the House with the Heads. Or about the old books and the exhibition. On most Wednesday afternoons, Rachel Ritman gives a tour about the Grail artwork in our collection.
You can book the tours here.
There is also a free audio tour offered in English or Dutch that leads past highlights from the permanent exhibition. This audio tour can be listened to on your phone/tablet and with your own headphones or 'earphones'. We do not sell earphones. If you do not own a phone/tablet, we have iPads on loan.
In addition, we have developed 6 'Self-guided tours' for people who prefer to explore on their own. The topics are: Hermetic Philosophy, Alchemy, The House with the Heads, Kabbalah, The Grail and Rosicrucians.
These 'Self-guided-tours-books' are available free of charge in the Grote Sael on the table and are in Dutch and English.
Are the cafe and garden open?
Yes, the cafe and garden are open to visitors during our opening hours. Among other things, we have delicious homemade pumpkin soup by our Carmen and fresh apple pie.
Is it possible to visit the EFM with a school class?
Yes, for a school class request send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will arrange it. We also have children's programs on Wednesdays during school vacations.
Is group visit possible to the EFM?
Yes, we can accommodate 2 groups from 8 to 15 people at a time, but please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about the possibilities.
A group tour, once confirmed, cannot be cancelled and the number of persons cannot be changed. Should any persons be unable to attend on the booked date, they will be given the opportunity to take a tour on another day. They can then book a tour in our ticket shop according to the regular schedule. Please contact us for this.
Can I organize an event in the EFM (drinks, lecture, dinner, etc.)?
Absolutely. The Grote Sael can be rented for birthdays, weddings, book launches and meetings, among other events. For all information regarding room rentals, click here.
How many people are allowed in the halls and throughout the EFM?
The maximum number of visitors for the entire museum is 70 people. The Grote Sael can hold 50 during lectures and performances.
Can I cancel my purchased ticket and get a refund?
No, purchased tickets are not refundable. However, you can rebook your ticket to another date, this can be done up to the start time of your ticket. Please note that this only applies to entrance tickets and tickets for tours. Tickets for events such as lectures or webinars cannot be rebooked.
Rebooking tickets can be done through this link.
Can I rebook my ticket to another date?
You certainly can! Please note that this only applies to entrance and tour tickets. Tickets for events such as lectures or webinars cannot be rebooked.
Rebooking tickets can be done through this link.
I bought a ticket for a lecture, but I can't go after all. Can I get my money back?
No, purchased tickets are not refundable. Also, a ticket for a lecture or event cannot be rebooked. However, you will receive in your confirmation email a Zoom link to attend the lecture online and within two weeks you will also receive the recording of the lecture. This way you can still follow the lecture.
I bought a ticket for a (Zoom) lecture. Where can I find the Zoom-link?
You can find the Zoom-link in your confirmation email. Didn't receive anything? Perhaps the mail ended up in the spam. We can also resend the email and ticket, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 020-6258079 to do so.
I bought a ticket for a (Zoom) lecture. Will I also be sent the recording? And when will the recording be sent?
Everyone who has bought a ticket for a lecture (regular, student or Zoom ticket), will receive the recording by mail. You can expect the recording in your mail within two weeks.
I would like to receive the recording of a lecture that was already held and I don't have a ticket for, is that possible?
Yes you can! You can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and mention which lecture it concerns. The cost of a recording is €12.50.
Can I visit the reading room and view books there?
The "modern" reading room (books from after 1900) can be found on the 1st floor. You can just grab and read books there, but they are not for loan. There are two nice chairs with a lamp by the window. If necessary, it is possible to grab a book from the reading room and read elsewhere in the museum (excluding the café and garden). Our curators sit in the reading room by the window and you can ask them anything you want about the books.
The reading room holds about two thousand books from our Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica Collection. In our online catalog here you can see all the titles from our collection. It is possible to request specific books by sending an email prior to your visit to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. indicating the titles and signature of the works you would like to see.
Should you be interested in viewing books or manuscripts older than 1800, it is necessary to request the books by mail at least one week in advance. The curators will ensure that the books - if available - will be ready for you on the day of your visit.
For access to the reading room you need an entrance ticket.
FAQ
Book Donation by Erich Kaniok
Two years ago, the Embassy of the Free Mind received a generous book donation from Erich Kaniok and his wife Marijke, consisting of no fewer than 2,000 titles in the fields of philosophy, science and spirituality from various cultures and ages. The books that we acquire in our lives, or those that ‘happen’ to come our way and know how to find us, usually reflect our own search for wisdom and knowledge. In the case of Erich Kaniok, this search must have been a very adventurous and fascinating one: walking past the shelves, we encounter a wide range of subjects: Mahayana, Hinayana and Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, theosophy, anthroposophy, Western and Eastern mysticism, non-dualism, new science and such original thinkers as Krishnamurti, Meister Eckhart, Jakob Lorber, and others.
Erich Kaniok grew up in the historical old town of Vienna, where he taught for a number of years after having graduated. Already at an early age he was ‘spiritually committed’, an approach to life which took him to the Netherlands in the late 1960s. Here he was active in the Rosicrucian movement for over four decades. In his lectures and meetings, Erich often made use of stories, which were published in a series of volumes over the years. Examples of these are the series ‘Verhalen & parabels uit Oost & West’ (Stories & Parables from East & West), with such titles as Sleutels tot het hart (Keys to the Heart), Taal van de stilte (Language of Silence) and Lente in je hart (Spring in One’s Heart). He also compiled a volume of stories and parables from China entitled Het geluk van Tao (The Happiness of Tao).
Two volunteers, Greetje Voerman and Reinout Spaink, have been cataloguing the Kaniok donation for the Ritman Library with great enthusiasm in the past year. It soon became clear in the process that this donation broadened the library’s scope in several respects: a broadening in the sense of a more colourful palette of categories, which have now also come to include more contemporary and topical themes, and a broadening in a geographical sense, enriching the library with a considerable number of titles in the field of non-Western spiritualities and cultures.
It may be asked in how far this is compatible with the original aim of the Embassy of the Free Mind’s library, which is to focus on the main collecting areas Hermetica, Alchemy, Mysticism, Rosicrucians and Gnosis & Western Esotericism. Perhaps one of the answers is that it has become increasingly clear in the course of the decades that insights into what we might broadly refer to as the ‘Western realm of thought’ cannot be viewed outside the development of Eastern thought. Both have exerted an intense reciprocal influence on each other in the past millennia.
One example is the initiative by the Buddhist emperor Ashoka to make contact with thinkers and rulers in Alexandria (in present-day Egypt), Antioch (present-day Turkey) and Athens to propagate Buddhism, around 250 BCE. The texts which Ashoka commissioned to be carved in India on iron commemorative pillars, on rocks and in caves, the so-called edicts, include an account of his activities in the Hellenistic world. It is obvious from these texts that he had a clear grasp of the political structures in these Western regions. The names and courts of the foremost Greek kings at the time are mentioned, and it is also noted that they had all been introduced to the teachings of the Buddha through the monks that Ashoka had sent to them. A few Pali texts also make mention of the fact that some of Ashoka’s missionaries were monks from Greece.
In one of the Indian commemorative pillars we find the following text: ‘The victory by Dhamma took place here, even as far away as six hundred yojanas [6,000 kilometres], where the Greek king Antiochus rules, beyond where the four kings called Ptolemy II, Philadelphus, Antiochus II, Magas of Cyrene and Alexander rule.'
Hinduism, too, has been of major influence on Western thought. In the six darśanam or schools of Hindu thought, each of these schools represents one aspect of the knowledge of all of reality. When these six darśanam are arranged in pairs of two, the outcome is three systems of thought with accompanying systems of proof, which are very similar to what is referred to in the West as religion, philosophy and science. These latter three are actually nothing else but the reflection on a socio-cultural and collective plane of the three aspects that make up our individual consciousness, and with which we try to grasp ultimate reality – the three dimensions, in fact, of our cognition. A full grasp of this ultimate reality cannot be achieved by one of these three separately, but only by integrating them. It is even more interesting to find that virtually all contemporary currents within science, such as empiricism and positivism, can be found in these darśanam of thousands of years ago.
It is therefore very plausible that Buddhist and Hinduist thought must have left traces within the Western tradition everywhere. A proper understanding of Western-Hermetic thought will have to take into account Eastern thought and its development, while this effort to overcome the traditional dichotomy between ‘Eastern and Western thought’, cannot but inspire creative processes that may very well lead to unexpected and new insights into the origin and meaning of Western-Hermetic thought.
Perhaps the time has come to finally add to the famous and often quoted lines by Rudyard Kipling: 'Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet' the two lines that immediately follow but are always omitted:
'But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!’
Erich Kaniok passed away in the spring of 2019, but the Kaniok collection is forever an integral part of the Embassy of the Free Mind.
Special Collection: Kaniok
Adam Qadmon
The first being that came into existence when God created the world, primordial man, a spiritual being. Not to be confused with the ‘material’ Adam who was expelled from Paradise together with Eve.
Alchemical process
The alchemical process (the Magnum Opus or Great Work) includes several phases:
- Nigredo: blackness. Putrefaction as a necessary step to be able to work with the materials.
- Albedo: whiteness. After the breakdown of the Nigredo phase, the impurities are removed.
- Citrinitas: yellowness. The third step which symbolises the transmutation of silver into gold.
- Rubedo: redness. The fourth and final step in the Magnum Opus. Both gold and the Philosophers’ Stone are associated with the colour red, symbolising the successful completion of the Great Work.
- Cauda pavonis: the peacock’s tail. This term indicates a phase in which many iridescent colours appear on the surface. Some alchemists thought this phase preceded the albedo, others believed it succeeded it.
Archimi
A term used by some alchemists to refer to alchemists who were involved in the metallurgic aspect of alchemy.
Azot
The term Azot is made up of the first and last letters of the Latin, Greek and Hebrew alphabets: A-Z, alpha-omega and alef-tav. It originally referred to mercury, one of the most important elements in alchemy which also stands for the primordial stage of the metals and a universal medicine.
Binah
Understanding, the third sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name JHVH, pronounced as Elohim.
Cabala Chymica
The use of kabbalistic methods in alchemy, also the absorption of kabbalah in Western alchemical thought.
Celestial spheres
A model of the cosmos devised by the classical Greek philosophers. The rotation of the celestial bodies is here presented as embedded in ten transparent spheres. The earth is at the centre, followed by the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, the sun, Jupiter, Saturn, the fixed stars, the ninth sphere and the tenth, which is the ‘primum mobile’ or ‘first mover’ setting in motion the other nine spheres.
Chariot
In the biblical book Ezekiel the prophet Ezekiel has a vision of heaven and God’s Throne-Chariot. It inspired kabbalists to speculate on the mystical dimensions of the vision.
Chesed
Loving-kindness, name of the fourth sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name El or El elyon and corresponds with the right arm.
Chochmah
Wisdom, name of the second sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name Yah.
Devekut
Mystical clinging to God.
Divine names
The names of God, such as El, Elohim, Adonai, Shaddai and Adonai Tsvaot, were believed to give special powers to those who knew them. The Spanish kabbalist Abulafia believed that the knowledge of the divine names was the highest form of kabbalah.
Ein
The mysterious nothing prior to creation, from which everything flows.
Ein sof
The endless one, the unending essence of God, which becomes manifest through the sefirot.
Gematria
Kabbalistic linguistical technique to interpret words on the basis of their numerical equivalents, with the aim of discovering hidden
connections between the various words. One of three kabbalistic methods, the others are notarikon and temurah.
Gevurah
Justice, the fifth sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name Elohim and corresponds with the left arm.
Golem
A creature made of clay and magically brought to life on the basis of letter mysticism. Medieval commentaries on Sefer Yetzirah explained some passages as treating of the golem.
Hermes Trismegistus
Legendary wisdom teacher of ancient Egypt and alleged author of numerous works, including the Corpus Hermeticum, a collection of wisdom teachings, and the Tabula smaragdina, the Emerald Table. The philosophy attributed to Hermes Trismegistus formed the basis of Hermetism and was a major influence on Renaissance thought.
Hermetism
Wisdom teachings attributed to the legendary Egyptian wisdom teacher Hermes Trismegistus, containing mystical, cosmological, magical, astrological and alchemical revelations. A central idea is to gain knowledge of God, the cosmos and man. One of the most
characteristic principles of Hermetism is that of ‘As above, so below’, referring to the close bond between the macrocosm (the universe) and the microcosm (man).
Hod
Splendour, name of the eighth sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name Elohim tsva’ot (Lord of Hosts) and corresponds with the left leg.
Ilan ha-kodesh
The ilan ha-kodesh or ‘holy tree’ has been compared to a ‘cosmic map’. By meditating on the images (including Ein sof, the sefirot), the kabbalist hoped to gain insight in the divine world.
Kabbalah
- Practical kabbalah
Practical kabbalah is concerned with the use of magic (i.e. spells, amulets, communication with angels, spirits, demons) based on the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet or the divine names to gain protection, assistance or more mundane goals.
- Prophetic or ecstatic kabbalah
Prophetic or ecstatic kabbalah is associated with Abraham Abulafia, the Spanish kabbalist who provided precise instructions for meditations on the divine names (e.g. El, Adonai) or the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet to achieve prophetic or ecstatic visions and/or closeness to God.
- Theosophical kabbalah
Theosophical kabbalah is mostly associated with meditations on the sefirot, the ten attributes of the revealed God.
- Christian kabbalah
Christian kabbalah (mostly spelled as cabala) resulted from the interest of Christian scholars in aspects of the mystical tradition of Hebrew kabbalah. These scholars also attempted to harmonise Hebrew Kabbalah with Christian religion.
Kavanah
Intention, the sincere mindset necessary for prayers and a precondition for Devekut.
Keter
Crown, name of the first sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name Ehiyeh.
Lurianic kabbalah
The kabbalistic teaching of Isaac Luria (1534-1572), which was disseminated by his followers. Central concerns of Lurianic kabbalah are tzimtzum, shevirat ha-kelim and tikkun.
Magic
Various kinds of magic can be distinguished:
- Natural magic: drawing on the forces of nature.
- Ritual magic: communicating with angels, spirits and demons.
- Astral magic: drawing on the special powers of planets, stars and signs of the zodiac.
Malkhut
Kingship, the tenth sefirah, see also Shekinah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name Adonai (our Lord) and corresponds with the feet.
Neoplatonism
A philosophical current that originated in the third century BCE and combined the philosophy of Plato with philosophies from esoteric and mystical traditions.
Netzach
Eternity, the seventh sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name YHVH tsvaot (Lord of hosts) and corresponds with the right leg.
Notarikon
One of the three kabbalistic methods to work with words and letters (the other two are gematria and temurah). In notarikon, the first or last letters of a word are used to form another word.
Pentagrammaton
Placing the Hebrew letter shin ש in the middle of the ineffable name of God, (YHVH, the Tetragrammaton) produces the name of Jesus or Jeheshua (YHSVH), according to Reuchlin in his work De verbo mirifico.
Philosophers’ Stone
The substance capable of transmuting base metals into silver or gold, but also a means to cure all diseases or prolong life.
Planets and metals
In alchemy, each of the seven planets rules a metal:
Sun - gold
Moon - silver
Mercury - quicksilver
Venus - copper
Mars - iron
Jupiter - tin
Saturn - lead
Prima materia
A primordial substance preceding matter, a ‘matter without form’ from which matter proceeds.
Primum mobile
The outermost and fastest of the ten celestial spheres that moves the other spheres.
Quintessence
The fifth essence, the fifth element in addition to the four elements earth, water, air and fire. This quintessence could be abstracted from various materials and transcended the qualities of the other four.
An example is the distillation of alcohol: this substance, fluid and flammable, unites the contrary qualities of the elements water and fire.
Rabbinical Judaism
After the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 CE and the dispersion of the Jewish people, the rabbis or biblical exegetes codified the laws that provided the basis for the Jewish people in the diaspora.
Safed
A city in northern Israel that became a centre for mysticism and kabbalah in the 16th century.
Sefer ha-Bahir
Literally: Book of Brilliance, an important work written in the 13th century and the first kabbalistic work to contain a description of the sefirot in the form of a tree.
Sefer Yetzirah
Literally: Book of Formation, a mystical work dating from the 1st century and referring to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the ten sefirot which together make up the 32 paths of wisdom.
Sefer ha-Zohar
Literally: Book of Splendour, the main work of kabbalah which was written in the second half of the 13th century in Castile and traditionally attributed to the 2nd-century sage Simon bar Yochai.
Sefirah
Singular of sefirot.
Sefirot
A central concept of kabbalah, first referred to in Sefer Yetzirah, where it still means ‘number’. In later kabbalistic works it came to mean ‘attribute’, referring to the ten aspects of the revealed God. The ten sefirot are also known as the Tree of Life.
Sephardi Jews
Jews whose ancestors lived in Spain and Portugal. The Jews from Eastern Europe are known as Ashkenazi Jews.
Shekinah
The divine presence in the world according to Rabbinical judaism, in kabbalah the female aspect of God. Also associated with the tenth sefirah, Malkhut.
Shevirat ha-kelim
Shattering of the vessels: according to Lurianic kabbalah, the cosmic disaster whereby the lower seven sefirot could not contain the divine light and allowed evil to enter.
Tabula smaragdina hermetis / Emerald Table
A brief and enigmatic text attributed to Hermes Trismegistus which includes the defining hermetic concept of ‘As above, so below’: man (the microcosm) and the universe (the macrocosm) mirror each other.
Temurah
One of the three kabbalistic methods to work with words and letters (the other two are gematria and notarikon). Temurah refers to the practice of changing the letters in certain words according to a fixed order to find deeper spiritual meanings in the text.
Tetragrammaton
The ineffable name of God, yud-hey-vav-hey (יהוה). The four letters of the Tetragrammaton form the root meaning ‘to be’. The original meaning has sometimes been interpreted as ‘He-Who-Is’ or ‘He who lives’.
Tetractys
A symbol invented by Pythagoras that is formed by points arranged in four rows. Its basis is a single point, followed by two, three and four points. Together they make ten, the perfect number according to Pythagoras.
Tiferet
Beauty, name of the central sixth sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the Tetragrammaton and corresponds with the torso.
Tikkun
Literally: repair, a process that leads to the restoration of the world and the divine unity after the shattering of the vessels (see shevirat ha-kelim).
Torah
In its strictest sense the Torah refers to the five books of Moses, but it can also be used to comprise the entire Hebrew bible (TaNaKh, an acronym for Torah, Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings)) and the whole body of Jewish law, teachings and experience.
Trinity
The belief in many branches of Christianity that there is one God in three consubstantial persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.
22 letters
Hebrew is the language of divine communication: God created by speaking. The Hebrew alphabet is made up of 22 letters – all consonants. The letters were believed to exist independently in a
transcendent realm. They are therefore also considered to be mystical tools for contemplation.
Tzimtzum
Literally: contraction, a Lurianic concept to describe the withdrawal of God to create an empty space where creation can take place.
Yesod
Foundation, name of the ninth sefirah. This sefirah is associated with the divine name El chai (the living God) or El shaddai (the mighty God) and corresponds with the phallus.
Glossary‘I am concerning myself with only one essential thing: to set man free’
Jiddu Krishnamurti was hailed by the English Theosophical Society as a World Teacher and invited to England, but in 1929 he severed all ties with the theosophical movement and for the rest of his life remained aloof from any religious, political or philosophical dogma, asserting that he was only concerned with ‘one essential thing: to set man free. I desire to free him from all cages, from all fears, and not to found religions, new sects, nor to establish new theories and new philosophies’. Krishnamurti’s thoughts have been collected in numerous speeches, talks and discussions, a significant number of which are to be found in the BPH.
KhrishnamurtiKleine Sael
LIGHT IN DARK PLACES
Light and Darkness, they are of great importance in the philosophy of Jacob Böhme, who was the centre of the exhibition that was on view in the Embassy of the Free Mind until the end of July. Light is usually associated with something that is positive, darkness with something negative. In enlightening the mind and the light of reason, darkness does not have any function: it simply needs to recede. In most of the works here shown, however, light and darkness form a creative union. At the same time, the title Light in Darkness points forward to our spring exhibition on Adriaan Koerbagh (1633-1669): his Light shining in dark places could not see the light of day in the tolerant city of Amsterdam. It has been preserved, however, and can be admired from early April 2021.
SHOWCASE 1
1-3 Gichtel, Eine kurtze Eröffnung, Berlin & Leipzig 1723 & 1779
These three engravings illustrate the philosophy of spiritual rebirth as described by Jacob Böhme in his works.
In the first engraving man is still living in a state of darkness and is therefore here called the ‘gantz irdische, natürliche, finstere Mensch’, the entirely earthly, natural and dark man. He is still gripped by negative emotions: pride (Hofart) has its seat in his head, Geiz (greed) around the mouth, jealousy (Neid) and egoism (Eigenliebe) in the chest and anger (Zorn) in the abdomen.
The second engraving is called ‘Der wiedergeborene Mensch In seiner instehenden Geburt in Christo, im Herzen, Welcher die Schlange ganz zermalmet’ (The reborn man in his inner birth in Christ, in the heart, which fully crushes the serpent). Here the process of rebirth has begun: Christ has settled in the heart, crushing the serpent that could be seen coiled there in the first engraving.
In the third engraving the process has reached its end. Man is ‘The perfect being according to the three principles of divine being.’ He is spiritually reborn: the upper half (only) of his body bathes in a divine light. The Divine has driven out his attachment to the material world and found a place to stay in his body: Jesus lives in his heart; Jehovah in his belly, the Holy Spirit in his head.
4 Magia vera sacra sacratissima, manuscript, Duitsland 18e eeuw
This manuscript is full of secret seals and sigils, to ward off or send ill fortune. In any case it required the invocation of supernatural forces, which is why the church strongly condemned such dark practices. The foldout contains the names of angels and archangels, their special signs, but there are also references to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The ‘true magic’, according to this manuscript, derives from God himself.
5 Tabula smaragdina hermetis in Musaeum hermeticum, Frankfurt 1678
Matthaeus Merian provided this engraving to illustrate the Emerald Table of Hermes Trismegistus and created a beautiful play with light and dark. Left and right we see opposites, such as sun and moon, day and night, male and female. The alchemist in the middle resolves these opposites through his work. Fire and water, fixed and volatile: ‘unite them’, as can often be read in alchemical texts.
SHOWCASE 2
6 Biblia sacra, Antwerpen 1568-1573
Religion and politics form an unholy alliance in the engraving on the left of this famous polyglot Bible edition. The Roman-Catholic faith must be defended or spread by force (see the military paraphernalia left), so that the liberal arts (right) may prosper. The Word of God, is the not so good news, shall be spread, if needs be by force. Light and dark are uneasily joined here!
7 Robert Fludd, Utriusque cosmi historia, Oppenheim 1617
‘And so in infinity’, is engraved around the sides of this enigmatic engraving, with which the English physician and follower of Paracelsus wanted to symbolize infinity, before everything was formed, even before darkness, after which God said: ‘Let there be light’ . In alchemical terms, this black square represent the prima materia, unformed matter which holds the promise of creation, of potentialities.
8 Spinoza, Tractatus theologico-politicus, Amsterdam ‘1670’
In Spinoza’s time, faith had become ‘nothing but credulity and prejudices (…) which are apparently devised with the set purpose of utterly extinguishing the light of reason’. The cautious Spinoza published these powerful words anonymously; he opposed the publication of the Dutch translation of his Theological Political Treatise. He obviously realised (perhaps he was thinking of Koerbagh’s fate?) that the celebrated tolerance in the Dutch Republic had its limits.
SHOWCASE 3
9 Comenius, Opera didactica omnia, Amsterdam 1657
The Czech philosopher Comenius settled in Amsterdam after a life of exile and hardship. He found a generous supporter in the De Geers, who owned the House with the Heads. The title page shows why Amsterdam was so famous in the 17th century. From freedom of the press to the liberal arts: it all happened here. As an educational reformer Comenius was way ahead of his time: he championed education for boys and girls.
10 Splendor solis in Aureum vellus, Rorschach 1598
This coloured woodcut is derived from Splendor solis or Splendour of the Sun, a famous early 16th-century work. The image is known as ‘sol niger’ or black sun. No paradox, as in the alchemical process darkness and light interact; sol niger denoting the phase in the alchemical work which is also known as nigredo and which is vital for the success of the magnum opus: without darkness there can be no light.
11 Dionysius Areopagita, De mystica theologia, Straatsburg 1502
Light and darkness are at opposite ends in this woodcut: above Lux, below Tenebre. In between the three heavenly orders or hierarchies: the first that of the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones, the second that of the Dominions, Virtues and Powers, the third that of the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. Angels communicate with humans, passing heavenly messages, protecting and serving them. It makes clear why the magical handbooks (see 4) are full of angelic names.
Kleine Sael
The Embassy of the Free Mind features in two episodes of ‘The Streets of Amsterdam’, on the Amsterdam TV channel AT5, filmed in December 2018. To celebrate the thousandth episode of this programme, the presenters visited us at our new premises, the House with the Heads, together with former presenter Gülden Ilmaz, to look back on her visit to the Ritman Library on the Bloemstraat on 7 February 2013.
We are very honoured that Gülden wanted to visit us again for this special occasion. And it wasn’t only a trip down Memory Lane, as there were many new things for her to discover as well! Come and have a look at wat Gülden Ilmaz saw!
Please note, the videos are in Dutch,but if any of you readers would like to translate it into English, you are very welcome!
Click on the images below to access the videos.
Episode 1
Read more about AT5’s visit to the Bloemstraat in 2013.
Amsterdam TV visits the EFM
Translation from an article in the Dutch Speakers Academy 2017 magazine. BIBLIOTHECA PHILOSOPHICA HERMETICA
Books are constantly in dialogue with each other in the Embassy of the Free Mind
The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, The Ritman Library for short, was once described by the Dutch man of letters and political scientist Aad Nuis (†2007) as a house of living books. The collection, which will become digitally accessible in the near future, consists of some 25,000 works, which together make up a treasure house of the human mind. After a thorough renovation, the library, publishing house and research centre will re-open to the public in the House with the Heads. In the Embassy of the Free Mind, all available knowledge is set to become accessible to all.
Text: Jacques Geluk
“When he was a member of our advisory board, Aad Nuis once said that no book stands alone here, but that all books are constantly in dialogue with each other. It says something about the special nature of this collection, in which man and his ability to reflect upon himself, the world, God (or whatever notion you wish to attach to it), life and the origin of life play a central role”, says director Esther Ritman, daughter of founder Joost Ritman, in the House with the Heads on Amsterdam’s Keizersgracht. “My father and the council of Amsterdam shared the conviction that this building, until recently the domicile of the Bureau for Monuments and Archaeology, must remain part of the public domain. The history of the house is furthermore connected with the body of thought represented in the library. My father was given the opportunity to buy the House with the Heads. In August 2016, he donated it to The Worldheart Foundation together with the library. This foundation owes its name to a memorable saying by my father that Amsterdam is a city that embraces the whole world.”
“Here we will provide space for the Embassy of the Free Mind, where our collection will be housed once we have completed a comprehensive restoration that may take 18 months. While we renovate the foundation, the building will be recessed by a metre. Because it is a listed building, we will carefully remove all elements that don’t originally belong. Next we will start refurbishing, and only when this is completed will we house the collection, which is now partly stored in the Stedelijk Museum. Its core collection of 5,000 works is currently being digitized. We are planning an information centre in the hall during the building activities.” Here, visitors and others who are interested will be able to learn about the history of this landmark building. The House with the Heads was built in 1622 for the hosiery merchant and art connoisseur Nicolaas Sohier. The building derives its name from the sculpted heads of the gods Apollo, Ceres, Mercury, Minerva, Bacchus and Diana placed at the front. They were added by the house’s second owner, Louis de Geer. As a ‘mercator sapiens’ he devoted a considerable part of his business income to philanthropy. Esther explains that the De Geer family protected writers and thinkers who came to Amsterdam. “They invited the Moravian theologian, philosopher, reformer and pansophist Comenius, made him welcome in their home for a while and saw to it that his work was printed on Egelantiersgracht. Later Comenius also lived there. At the time, Louis de Geer already owned a library containing some 5,000 books, about as big as our present core collection. You might say that these books will come home when we move into the building.”
Dan Brown supports digitization It is Esther’s passion to make the research library not only physically accessible to all, but also to bring it as close as possible to people all over the world. “The ‘Hermetically Open’ project is aimed at sharing in the digital domain everything we do in our library, publishing house and the accompanying research institute, with everyone who finds us and follows us.” The digitization of the core collection, including alchemical and magical manuscripts and works by Böhme and Spinoza, is now underway, neatly coinciding with the renovation of the House with the Heads. In addition to a contribution by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, bestseller author Dan Brown (‘Da Vinci Code’, ‘Angels & Demons’) has made this project possible with a donation of 300,000 euro. “He visited the library – since July 2016 an accredited museum – to do research for his novels and learnt that we were planning to digitize our core collection. As he walked out the door he said he would make sure it could happen. I was flabbergasted.”
Gnosis, the third component Esther Ritman has now been working for the library for over thirty years. “My father started collecting Hermetic books at an early age, based on his interest in wisdom traditions. In 1984, when he had collected some 10,000 books, he decided to make his collection available to the public in a building on Bloemstraat and found a research institute and publishing house along with it. He also appointed an academic staff. We have now evolved into an internationally acknowledged scholarly library with an internationally oriented research and exhibition programme. He exerted himself to present the gnostic tradition as the third component of European cultural history, in addition to reason and faith. It was also the theme of a 1986 symposium we participated in and it was also a Eureka moment. Afterwards Gilles Quispel, theologian and a nestor of gnosis studies, translated the hermetic works for us, together with Roelof van den Broek, as well as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Truth.” In May 2016 a volume was published containing all the philosophical source texts of the Hermetica (originally containing the philosophical, theosophical, astrological, magical and alchemical works attributed to Hermes Trismegistus dating from the second and third centuries CE). “The books of Hermes Trismegistus, now known as the ‘Corpus Hermeticum’, were rediscovered in the Renaissance, and we really want to return to the sources and invite everyone to share in it. That’s our principal focus”, Esther says. “Those sources are not on the shelves, so we have made them accessible through our publishing house. With our exploration of the European dimensions of hermetic thought we have considerably widened the scope of research, together with universities, libraries and researchers. In 1993 our own research resulted in an exhibition on 500 Years of Gnosis, which took place in the Rudomino Library in Moscow. There our collection is regarded as world heritage, although it has not been officially acknowledged as such.”
The unity of everything “The sources must speak for themselves, it’s the key to understanding the unity of everything. It’s what our discipline is based on”, Esther continues. “The hermetic wisdom can be characterized as a basically religious-philosophical current within western thought. It’s not a religion or an organized creed, but a centuries-old way of contemplating the unity of everything. To take a collecting area like alchemy, it’s about people practising alchemy as much as about the process taking place in their ‘inner laboratory’. It can be compared to transforming lead into gold. He who comes to know himself, will also come to know the All. This has been judged heretical and arrogant , however, especiallty when the All also includes God. Alchemy, which is grounded in the Hermetica, shows that the composition of the human body has many correspondences with that of the earth and is based on the assumption that man is a mirror of the cosmos and consequently of God. In the Latin version of the Asclepius (the only hermetic work to have circulated widely in the West in the Middle Ages) God places man in the middle of creation. Man’s twofoldedness – the ability to comprehend God with his mind, and at the same time the circumstance of him being positioned firmly on the ground to take care of the creation of which he is a part – is a literal translation of a hermetic text dating from the beginning of our era. This awareness of a shared responsibility for creation is a common theme in all the books in our collection.”
The heart of the embassy Many free spirits who are persecuted for their ideas and books personally entertain a sincere wish to be able to make a contribution within the framework of their faith or within the reality of the moment. They experience a passionate curiosity about life itself, seek answers to existential questions and issues of meaning, and they will not be pinned down. Instead, they break barriers. They have done so for centuries and are still doing it now. Esther: “As Comenius already said: if we are afraid to look at reality in this way, the problems we are now confronting will come back, and they will be worse. He issued a strong warning. That’s the whole point. The library is at the heart of the Embassy of the Free Mind that we wish to establish here. The books, in which the authors and all the minds behind them speak out, are the primary focus and they speak for themselves. We invite the people who visit the museum or are interested in our programmes not only to absorb that knowledge, but also to share their own knowledge and experiences. We hope that the fire and passion that motivates so many people, scientists, artists, academics or police officers fighting random violence, will cause people to stop and think. It would be wonderful when a dynamic process can be created and sustained here that carries the same DNA as that of the free minds in our collection, and that this will lead to a self-sustaining movement”, Esther says enthusiastically.
Balance of opposites Because all, sometimes even contradictory, ideas and currents from the hermetic books are constantly in dialogue with each other, a sort of balance is achieved. “In the entrance hall we want to hang ‘Rivers of Life’, an almost encyclopaedic chart made by the British army officer James Forlong, who encountered in India the ancient roots of wisdom traditions and faiths. He produced a survey of some 12,000 years of human history and evolution of human thought, beginning with nature religions, theism, then all world religions and wisdom currents. The chart stops at 1900, so there’s room for development. In The Ritman Library we confine ourselves to the traditions of the past 2,000 years within Europe, but the chart is a way of indicating that we stand on the shoulders of every person who has been committed to the same questions and has found answers. Perhaps the Embassy will become a sort of alchemical laboratory for the mind, so that people entering into a dialogue will seize upon differences as an opportunity to establish a connection with something other people are still unaware of. The Embassy of the Free Mind, however, will not be a forum for political debate. Its primary focus is on mankind.”
‘Divine wisdom, divine nature’ At present The Ritman Library is not open to the public, though it makes its presence felt in many places in Europe. The anniversary exhibition ‘Divine Nature – Divine Wisdom. The Message of the Rosicrucian Manifestoes in the Visual Language of the Seventeenth Century’, which started on a round trip in 2014, has already toured Germany, Switzerland, Amsterdam, London, and Kraków in Poland. The exhibition opened in Budapest in Hungary in February 2017 and will continue to Dornach in Switzerland in May. “The visual language that can be associated with the Rosicrucians, whose manifestoes reveal the belief that divine wisdom will find its way to humankind, is stunning. The Rosicrucians themselves also owned considerable libraries”, she says, pointing at an engraving of Daniel Mögling in the book which has been published to accompany the exhibition. It is a beautiful hermetic depiction of the twofoldedness of man: his visible, human nature and his invisible, divine nature. “Man is a microcosm. That, according to Mögling, is God’s gift to humanity and it is the highest a person can achieve in this world.”
Esther Ritman is director and librarian of The Ritman Library in Amsterdam and involved in the many exhibition projects, the PR and the strategic development of the library’s research and public roles. She is deeply committed to making the institute a part of the public domain. In addition she chairs The Worldheart Foundation. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The first two pages of the Dutch article - Streamer: ‘We share a responsibility for creation’
The last two pages of the Dutch article - Streamer: ‘Man is a mirror of the cosmos'
Books are constantly in dialogue with each other in the Embassy of the Free MindWe are very proud to present to you… a documentary about our library! Sara Ferro and Chris Weil of Artoldo Pictures visited the library in the spring of 2016, not long before we moved out of the building on Bloemstraat. Their documentary offers a really unique view inside our previous location and the library there. The result is a 90-minutes long sequence of enchanting books, unique interviews, beautiful pearls of wisdom, side by side with a clear and concise history of western Esotericism by Dr. Marco Pasi, Associate Professor at the Chair of History of Hermetic philosophy and related currents at the University of Amsterdam. If you want to be immersed in a wealth of wisdom, history and previously unrecorded stories: you’ve just got to watch this movie!
Movie description by Artoldo
This documentary shows you how rare old books about the divine essence of things, the hidden reality behind the curtain of visible life can be the first companions for a soul seeking for an inner spiritual path, and how this path can guide you to the nature of the universe, shedding light on the intimate relationship between Microcosm and Macrocosm. How the rediscovery in early printed books of rejected knowledge and concealed truths can ignite a transcendent spark, help to pass a sort of mystical gate and find access to a circle of initiates. In a symbolical alchemical transmutation of one’s own reality. How some ancient metaphysical traditions can incorporate the Inviolable, Absolute and Permanent. How a certain particular world of bibliophiles ticks, what motivates them and how to come to terms with auctions while you build up your library – and above all why to build up a library. Understanding books as an engine of cultural revolutions and as a heritage of hard-fought theories and determined authors, all of which we can now enjoy freely. The founder of the BPH Joost Ritman, the director of the library Esther Ritman, the curators Cis van Heertum and José Bouman tell us about all this, while Marco Pasi of the University of Amsterdam narrates the wonderful and captivating history of Western Esotericism. See legendary first editions, rare books and manuscripts like the famous Fama Fraternitatis, the Corpus Hermeticum, Tabula Smaragdina, Atalanta Fugiens, Spaccio della bestia trionfante, Plantin’s Polyglot Bible and discover amazing works of authors like Basilius Valentinus, Marsilio Ficino, Johannes Reuchlin, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, Paracelsus, Giordano Bruno, Heinrich Khunrath, Michael Maier, Jacob Böhme, Lambspring, Robert Fludd, Daniel Mögling, Benedictus de Spinoza, Matthäus Merian and Stephan Michelspacher. [vimeo width="600" height="450"]https://vimeo.com/179329765[/vimeo]
To summarize : - Exclusive rare books, manuscripts, wood cuts, engravings and first editions - Fascinating interviews and anecdotes - Amazing visual contents and images - Stunning symbols of Alchemy, Hermetica, Mysticism, Cabala, Magic, Rosicrucianism - Learn more about the spellbinding history of Western Esotericism
With big thanks to Sara Ferro and Chris Weil for all their hard work and motivation.
Watch the trailer here and download the movie directly on Artoldo's website: http://www.artoldo.com/ritmanlibrary
Recently premiered! The Ritman Library Documentary by ArtoldoA Hermetic Reformation. The silent language of Alchemy, Magic, Christian Kabbalah and Rosicrucians The conference A Hermetic Reformation was held to mark the opening of The Ritman Library’s travelling exhibition ‘Divine Wisdom – Divine Nature. The Message of the Rosicrucian Manifestoes in the Visual Language of the Seventeenth Century’ on 18 February 2017 in the National Széchényi Library in Budapest. This conference was dedicated to the work of Prof. Dr. Balint Keserű.
- - - Throughout his career Balint Keserű inspired and managed collaborative work as testified by the great number of his students (by now many of them professors themselves). The research fostered by him provided the Szeged Department (and associated units, such as the University Library, the Departments of German and English) a strong character in intellectual and cultural historical orientation. Between 1964 and 1991 thirty-two monographs and twelve smaller studies have been published under his leadership, the subjects of which concerned the culture of Hungary and Transylvania in relation to Europe during the early modern period. The Ritman Library has collaborated with Prof. Keserű ever since his participation in one of the first scholarly conferences they have organized on the influence of the Rosicrucian Manifestoes, in Wolfenbüttel in 1994. - - - Exactly four centuries years ago, a hundred years after Luther‘s reformation, a circle of freethinkers who called themselves Rosicrucians caused a sensation with the publication of three booklets. The so-called Rosicrucian Manifestoes, the Fama Fraternitatis, the Confessio Fraternitatis and the Chymische Hochzeit appeared in the years 1614-1615 1616. The Fama Fraternitatis, or the Call of the Brotherhood of the Laudable Order of the Rosy Cross, written to all the Learned Heads and Rulers of Europe, immediately fired the imagination of its readers. It urged nothing short of a reformation of the ‘whole wide world’. The reformation that was envisaged encouraged man to become aware of his divine origin, to understand that he was a microcosm, and to reconnect him with the macrocosm thanks to the tools offered by alchemy, magic and kabbalah. This conference focuses on the visual language that developed out of this urge to achieve a hermetic reformation of the world and man’s place in it. This visual language is especially reflected in an extraordinary number of prints that appeared in Germany in the early seventeenth century. They partly originated in the direct environment of the circle in Tübingen that inspired the Rosicrucian Manifestoes, partly they were independent artistic expressions celebrating God and Nature, the macrocosm and the microcosm. The speakers at this conference want to introduce the audience to the wisdom contained in and conveyed by these ‘iconotexts’. They are consummate artistic expressions of the conviction that to investigate the Book of Nature is a sacred act, and creation itself proof of Divine Wisdom. In the Chymische Hochzeit, Hermes Trismegistus is called the principal philosopher, who holds out the promise of restoration and regeneration to mankind: After so much harm has been inflicted upon the human race, I, Hermes, being the primordial fount, flow forth here as a healing remedy, according to the divine decree. And assisted by the art. Let him who can, drink of me. Let him who will, cleanse himself in me. Let him who dares, stir me. Drink brothers, and live. The art referred to here is the alchemical art, which was believed to be able to cure mankind. The healing remedy is the elixir, which the alchemist strove to achieve. The Rosicrucian Manifestoes not only drew on alchemy, specifically the alchemical principles of Theophrastus Paracelsus (1493-1541), who urged alchemists not to make gold, but to make medicines. They also relied on magical and kabbalistic traditions, which had been rediscovered in the Renaissance and promulgated by such scholars as Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) and Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522). The hermetic texts, too, were reintroduced in the Renaissance when what is now known as the Corpus Hermeticum was translated from Greek into Latin. Magic, Christian kabbalah and alchemy thus provided the elements for the hermetic reformation espoused by the Rosicrucian Brotherhood.
The conference features the following speakers and topics:
Róbert Kutsera – Aquarius Foundation Introduction to the conference Endre Ádám Hamvas, Gál Ferenc Főiskola Some remarks on the problem of the term "Hermetic tradition' During the last decades, the number of publications concerning Hermetic literature and related subjects, e.g. Hermetic Tradition, has increased in a considerable manner, which has been expanding our knowledge about the topic. However, the reader of these studies could be disturbed by the fact that many phenomena (rosicrucianism, alchemy, ceremonial magic, occult sciences) are treated in these studies seemingly separate. It seems that only one feature is common in these texts: they use the term „Hermetic” as their guideline. In my presentation I will show by means of one example the problems of this method; my starting point will be Umberto Eco’s book, the The Limits of interpretation through which I will shed light on the problems when he uses the term ‘Hermetic tradition’ as a mode of infinite interpretation. I will argue that we have to go back to the original sources if we would like to understand that there is a coherent system, or worldview in Hermetica, and I will suggest that we should examine some eminently important Hermetic texts (Asclepius, Liber XXIV philosophorum) if we would like to understand the role of Hermes in western tradition. Gábor Almási, MTA-ELTE Humanizmus Kelet-Közép-Európában Lendület Kutatócsoport Johann Reuchlin and the Kabbala. The paper presents the life of the great German humanist and Hebraist J R, and attempts to introduce his interpretation of the Kabbalah, the peak of which was his De arte Cabbalistica of 1517. Reuchlin, who bravely stood up for defending Jewish persons and culture, has been for long considered a forerunner of Reformation, an early champion of the Enlightenment idea of human equality, or the authentic German hero of Philo-Semitism. These interpretations obviously exaggerate aspects of Reuchlin's story but reveal its extraordinary character and show R as an exception when compared to contemporaries, and finally suggest that we should take his cultural influence more seriously in consideration. Márton Szentpéteri, Moholy-Nagy Művészeti Egyetem Archelogia spagirica: Paracelsian aspects of Alsted's trinitarian theory of cognition The leading exponents of millenarian encyclopaedism, J. H. Alsted and his disciples, J. H. Bisterfeld and J. A. Comenius were the most influential exponents of the Herborn type trinitarian theory of cognition in Transylvania. This model distinguishes three fundamental sources of cognition: right reason, universal experience and the Holy Writ. Among these fundaments the Herborn scholars assumed such relations, which were operating between the three persons of the one essence God. In my talk I intend to focus on universal experience. Particular attention will be given to archelogia spagirica which pictures the trinitarian nature of human experiences and the physical world in the light of speculative alchemy by means of the trinitarian understanding of Paracelsus' theory of elements. The lecture highlights among others in what way could the combinatorial art of Ramon Llull and the Christian cabala of the early modern Lullists be combined with the alchemical speculations of the Paracelsians. Mutatis mutandis this had considerable influence on the later formation of Rosicrucian and Masonic symbolism as well. Peter Forshaw Heinrich Khunrath and his Amphitheatre of eternal wisdom One of the major figures in the exhibition ‘Divine Wisdom – Divine Nature’ is the sixteenth-century physician and theosopher Heinrich Khunrath of Leipzig (1560-1605). Khunrath is an important representative of various strands of early modern esoteric thought, with influences, for example, from the iatrochemistry and spagyria of Theophrastus Paracelsus, the occult philosophy of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, and the Christian Cabala of Johann Reuchlin. In this talk I shall introduce Khunrath and his writings with a focus on the complex verbal-visual engravings in his Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae, first published in a rare 1595 edition in Hamburg and then in a more widely available expanded edition in Hanau 1609. These images, more than anything, represent Khunrath’s complex interweaving of different traditions and his conviction that ‘cabala, magic and alchemy shall and must be combined and used together.’ Esther Ritman, Director General & Librarian Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica | The Ritman Library The greatness of the human mind The traveling exhibition ‘Divine Wisdom – Divine Nature. The message of the Rosicrucian Manifestoes in the Visual Language of the Seventeenth and the accompanying publication present extraordinary images from the environment of the authors of the Rosicrucian manifestoes. They are consummate artistic expressions of the conviction that to investigate the Book of Nature is a sacred act, and creation itself proof of Divine Wisdom. They show how inspired artists represented the relationship between God – Nature and the Macrocosm – Microcosm, offering paths of transformation for both mankind and society. In this talk I will take you on a discovery tour through some of these images, focusing especially on those in Robert Fludd’s Utriusque cosmi…historia that visualize his ‘science of pyramids’ (piramidum scientia). Sándor Fazekas, Kaposvári Egyetem Michael Maier, his Atalanta fugiens and Symbola aurea mensae This presentation would like to highlight a forthcoming volume that will present the alchemical mass ascribed to Nicolaus Melchior from Sibiu, and its reception. Michael Maier’s alchemical gallery, the Symbola aureae mensae duodecim nationum (Frankfurt, 1617) also devotes a separate chapter to Melchior, and this part is also translated in this Hungarian volume. After a brief presentation of this volume, which includes both sources and studies, the presentation aims to focus on the structure of Symbola and the alchemical and hermetic tradition mingled in this gallery, as well as on the important role of Melchior bears in the concept. The hermetic writings and the different ancient and medieval alchemical works can fit well within this concept with the works formed in the early modern era. The content of the Melchior-work emerge in Maier’s best-known work, in Atalanta fugiens (Oppenheim, 1617). Finally we will examine some elements of the conception of Atalanta and the links between these two important works of Michael Maier. Magdolna Veres, University of Szeged (SZTE) Comenius' pansophia: all-wisdom for everyone Győrgy Szőnyi University of Szeged (SZTE), Central European University (CEU) John Dee and the Rosicrucian tradition An archetypical experience of humankind is the Fall, the exclusion from the flow of Divine Wisdom because of some original sin. Equally archetypical is the desire to regain the privilege for direct contact between God and Man. This is what I call exaltatio which should be an illuminative ascension on high, but because of the human hybris it can go wrong and degrade into black magic. From Antique Hermeticism to Renaissance magic we can observe the tradition of seeking exaltatio by the help of various techniques. A typical example is the experiments of John Dee, the "Elizabethan Magus," by constructing a symbolic-magical image, the hieroglyphical monad and later by developing a technology of angel magic. The hieroglyphical monad became widely known in the 17th century and became used in works associated with the Rosicrucian movement. Although the connections between Dee and the Rosicrucians are debated, the ambitions of the Englishman and the Rosicrucian mentality show strong intellectual kinship. My talk will highlight these synergies.
Conference 18 February 2017 - A Hermetic Reformation. The silent language of Alchemy, Magic, Christian Kabbalah and RosicruciansEvery year, The Worldheart Foundation offers a firework show to the city of Amsterdam on New Year's Eve. And it's not a regular kind of show; every show is dedicated to a special theme, expressing a special symbolism. For 2016/2017 the theme was "The Fire of the Free Mind”. After reading the meaning behind it and seeing how it's done, you might want to come next year yourself.
Already 20 years now, people from the Jordaan area in Amsterdam invite their families to come over and watch the show among some 10,000 other Amsterdammers and tourists. The show always takes place on the bridge at the junction of Bloemgracht and Prinsengracht, across from Westerkerk Church and the Anne Frank House. The show is designed and provided by Pyrofoor de Amsterdam B.V. Video by Amanda Beugeling (Peace and Pixels). Joost R. Ritman, founder of The Ritman Library, talks in the video below about the deed of transfer he and his wife signed to make possible the “Embassy of the Free Mind”. The future location of The Ritman Library in the House with the Heads in Amsterdam will offer a platform to visualize and represent the free mind.
Joost R. Ritman talks about the secret of Amsterdam and what made it such a free haven for contrarian thinkers. It is the Fire of the Free Mind that illuminates the heart of man and makes him bear responsibility for his great gift – in the past, as well as in the present and future.
3,500 Occult Manuscripts Will Be Digitized & Made Freely Available Online, Thanks to Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown
3,500 Occult Manuscripts Will Be Digitized & Made Freely Available OnlineThe Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica foundation is treasurer of the collection and is registered as an official museum.
Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica FoundationAlchemyAs above, so below – Tabula smaragdina
The tasks above are as the flasks below, saith the emerald canticle of Hermes – James Joyce, Finnegans Wake
Which came first, the phoenix or the flame? - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Have you ever cooked ‘au bain-marie’? Without probably being aware of it, you have been practising a little alchemy – as this method of keeping the temperature of fluids on the same level, though not reaching 100°C is attributed to Mary the Jewess or Mary the Prophetess, who lived around the beginning of our Common Era and is reputed to be the first alchemist in the western world. Since that time, it must be said, alchemy became an almost exclusively male preserve. In the early modern period, alchemists were known as ‘the sons of Hermes’ (though there were also some daughters around…).
As a collecting area, alchemy is closely related to the BPH’s principal collecting area Hermetica. Although nowadays ‘alchemy’ mainly conjures up images of changing lead into gold, it was actually a science until well into the 17th century, whose practitioners believed that God has placed secrets in nature. They accordingly investigated nature to discover, both in theory and in practice, the laws of nature by imitating the forces active in the cosmos in their retorts. They believed that the processes in the laboratory’s retort were the same as the processes taking place in nature. Metals, for instance, grew organically in the earth. Given enough time, the unripe or base metals would grow and change into gold – this is where the idea of alchemists changing lead into gold is based on. To accelerate this natural process, the alchemist interrupted the ‘pregnancy’ of the earth to purify the unripe fruit of her womb by artificial means, in the laboratory.
An engraving in Michael Maier’s celebrated alchemical emblem book Atalanta fugiens illustrates a line from the famous Emerald Tablet attributed to Hermes Trismegistus: ‘Its nurse is the earth’. ‘Its’ here stands for the famous philosopher’s stone, the ultimate goal to be achieved in the practice of alchemy. The philosopher’s stone was also the universal medicine, which would cure mankind of all illnesses. Most alchemists who prepared chemical medicines produced through either distillation or calcination in their laboratories were motivated by the ‘earnest desire to help their Neighbours’, as one famous Dutch alchemist, Theodor Kerckring, an acquaintance also of Spinoza, put it. Fathoming God’s creation for the ultimate benefit of mankind, therefore, is a better definition of alchemy than the elusive quest to make gold.
Christian gnosisInto this house we’re born | Into this world we’re thrown – Riders on the Storm
The philosophers of the ages invite YOU – Manly P. Hall
Where we have come from, who we are, where we are going – Excerpta ex Theodoto
Sometimes, divine revelation simply means adjusting your brain to hear what your heart already knows ― Dan Brown, Angels and Demons
In 1945 a poor farmer in Egypt unearthed a stone jar containing ancient papyri in the desert near Nag Hammadi. They turned out to be the oldest Christian writings on the subject of gnosis, a special kind of knowledge. The followers of this belief were called gnostics . The original meaning of the Greek word ‘gnosis’ was: investigation, knowledge, insight; around the beginning of our Common Era it was used to refer to ‘knowledge of the divine world and the true nature of things’. To the gnostics, not the faith of the developing Christian church but spiritual knowledge was the key to salvation. The Church dismissed gnosis as an aberration, a heresy.
The main assumptions of the gnostic belief are:
- Man comes from a divine world of light and must return to it; but he is caught in this material world
- The awareness of his origin, his present situation and his ultimate destination is the beginning of man’s liberation and makes it possible to return to the divine world, already in this life, but certainly after death
- Self-knowledge and knowledge of God, therefore, are almost identical
- This knowledge cannot be taught but is revealed to man by the divine world
- Only those who are worthy, will receive this awareness and that is why its core belief needs to be kept a secret
The Egyptian farmer had no idea of the significance of his discovery and used part of the papyri as fuel. Thirteen manuscripts escaped this fate and eventually found their way to the Coptic Museum in Cairo, where they are cherished and are now regarded as equally important as the oldest biblical manuscripts.
Mysticism'The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and God's eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love' – Meister Eckhart
'To see a World in a Grain of Sand | And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, | Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand | And Eternity in an hour' – William Blake (1757-1827
Troughout the ages people of all faiths have had mystical experiences. Mysticism (the Greek word from which it is derived literally means ‘I conceal’, the related ‘mystikos’ means ‘initiate’) is the attempt to achieve a personal union of the soul with God. In a non-religious, wider sense, the term is also used to indicate a state of consciousness beyond human perception or a feeling of being one with nature or creation.
The BPH mainly collects works by Western mystics, ranging from the great medievals Meister Eckhart, Tauler, Suso and Hildegard von Bingen to the later Protestant mystics, foremost among whom is the German shoemaker-theosopher Jacob Böhme. Works by ‘spiritualists’ are another primary focus of this collecting area. The spiritualists also held that direct contact of the soul with the supreme being was essential and therefore rejected any mediators between the two (the established churches, dogmas, sacraments, spiritual officials) or at least wished to relegate them to a subordinate role. The term ‘spiritualists’ is primarily used for sixteenth-century thinkers such as Caspar von Schwenckfeld and Sebastian Franck, who set great store by direct inspiration through the Spirit rather than adherence to the literal text of the Bible. Important spiritualists in the Netherlands were the self-proclaimed prophets David Joris and Hiel (Hendrik Jansen van Barrefelt).
The spiritualists made a sharp distinction between ‘the flesh’ and ‘the spirit’. The world of the flesh was the domain of visible, concrete things such as church ceremonies, secular authorities, but also the literal text of the Bible. It was necessary to relinquish the things of the flesh to become a spiritual creature. Anyone who continued to follow the letter of the Bible , therefore, stayed a ‘man of the flesh’ . Only a ‘man of the spirit’ was able to grasp the innermost meaning of the Word. Most spiritualists were ridiculed and even persecuted because of their unorthodox beliefs: a number of them even died at the stake.
After the Reformation (1517) the legacies of Luther and Calvin were codified in theological rules and dogmas by the established churches. Various philosophical and religious thinkers, (radical) reformers and spiritualists strove for freedom of religion and against the Orhtodox religion, whether Catholic or Protestant. The largest group of religious dissenters in the second half of the 17th century were Protestant Pietists, who aspired to personal piety and a simple Christian life. The 17th-century Republic, specifically Amsterdam, was the place where many works by these religious and other radical thinkers, who were banned in their native countries, could be printed.
HermeticaGod is an infinite sphere, the centre of which is everywhere, the circumference nowhere – Book of the 24 philosophers
God is an immortal man, man is a mortal god – Corpus Hermeticum
‘Hermes, star of Alexandria’ – The Golden Builders, Tobias Churton
Written down in Alexandria some 2,000 years ago, the works attributed to the legendary Hermes Trismegistus are still read and studied today and continue to inspire poets, novelists and artists. To name only two: Sigmar Polke’s Hermes Trismegistus I-IV, acquired by Museum De Pont in Tilburg, Dan Brown’s Inferno: both works were directly inspired by the ‘thrice-greatest’ philosopher. In Dan Brown’s 2013 novel, Robert Langdon encounters Hermes Trismegistus as he reads the enigmatic Emerald Tablet; Polke (1941-2010), one of Germany’s most celebrated modern painters, reworked the famous representation of Hermes Trismegistus in the floor mosaic of Siena’s Cathedral into a contemporary artwork.
What is it about the works attributed to Hermes Trismegistus that they still appeal today? ‘That which is above, is like that which is below’, is one of the most pregnant lines of the Emerald Tablet, referring to the close bond between the macrocosm and the microcosm. In the Renaissance, when the Corpus Hermeticum was ‘redisovered’ and translated from Greek into Latin (first edition Treviso 1471), Hermetic thought led to a redefinition of man’s place in the universe. Renaissance readers could read already in the first treatise of the Corpus Hermeticum that man is ‘twofold; mortal because of body, but immortal because of the essential man’. But reading the works of Hermes Trismegistus also made them realize that ‘All religions are one’, as William Blake would later write. A spiritualist like Sebastian Franck told his readers he had read the Hermetic works with great enthusiasm as Hermes Trismegistus:
… contains everything within him which is necessary to know for a Christian, described so masterfully, as ever did Moses or any prophet; with it I have learnt, that the impartial God (who does not regard any person, but he who is righteous amongst all peoples and fears the Lord, he is agreeable to Him) is also the pagans’ God, and has always been so.
It led to a fascination with the works of Hermes Trismegistus which persists to this day.
The Emerald Tablet and the Corpus Hermeticum are not the only works attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Alchemy, philosophy, magic, astrology, medicine: they are only a few of the fields covered by this most versatile of legendary philosophers.
Rosicrucians‘…as in every several kernel is contained a whole good tree or fruit, so likewise is included in the little body of Man the whole great World’ – Fama fraternitatis
‘No other Philosophy we have, than that which is the head and sum, the foundations and contents of all faculties, sciences, and arts’ – Confessio fraternitatis
An invisible brotherhood in the early 17th century that caused a furore internationally: it is one way of describing the ‘Rosicrucian phenomenon’ which is so imaginatively rendered in the stunning print (1618) by Matthäus Merian, one of the foremost engravers of Germany in his time. What we see is an impenetrable movable fortress set in a peaceful landscape reminiscent of Flemish paintings: a farmhouse in the foreground, a church in the background and a few travellers. All other details, however, refer to the Rosicrucian Brotherhood (the ‘Collegium Fraternitatis’ on the banderole aboved the tower). The three Rosicrucian Manifestos, as they are now known, the Fama fraternitatis (1614), Confessio fraternitatis (1615) and the Chymische Hochzeit (1616) drew numerous responses in print and in manuscript, both positive but certainly also negative.
In effect the Brotherhood strove for a better world founded on Christian-Hermetic principles. Hermes Trismegistus is accordingly called the ‘prince of philosophers’ in the Chymische Hochzeit, while the Swiss physician and medical reformer Paracelsus (known as the ‘Trismegistus Germanus’, the German Hermes) was highly praised in the first Rosicrucian manifesto. The Rosicrucian Brothers held out the promise of regeneration to mankind: it appealed to many of their contemporaries, such as Daniel Mögling, who wrote in defence of the Rosicrucians that they
…serve God and their fellow men to the best of their abilities, discover nature, and make use of its secrets for the benefit of the Christian world, and glorify the name of God. They know, try and want nothing else.
It did not appeal to the established churches, however, who were quick to condemn such outrage. The ‘Rosicrucian phenomenon’ is not a closed historical chapter: the ideals of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood continued to inspire a number of fraternities both in Europe and in the United States.
Let there be Kabbalah
At the time the Corpus Hermeticum was ‘rediscovered’ in the Renaissance, other occult traditions also came into focus, including Hebrew Kabbalah, which held a special fascination for Christians, as Hebrew was the language used by God to create (‘And God said: Let there be light’ – in Hebrew). Kabbalah emerged as a mystical tradition in the Middle Ages in the south of France and in northern Spain, which had thriving Jewish communities. Sefer ha-Zohar, attributed to the 2nd-century Simeon bar Yochai but probably composed by Moses de Léon (c. 1240-1305), is one of the key texts of Hebrew Kabbalah and is in the collection in one of the earliest editions, together with other famous kabbalistic works like Sefer Yetzirah and Sefer ha-Bahir. From the time Hebrew Kabbalah came to be disseminated in Christian circles, the interest in this Jewish mystical tradition assumed a decidedly polemical thrust. The Renaissance philosopher Pico della Mirandola contended that ‘no other science affords us so much certainty about the divinity of Christ than magic and Kabbalah’; Johannes Reuchlin introduced a variant spelling of the name of Jesus so he could ‘prove’ kabbalistically that the tetragrammaton, the ineffable name of God, was converted in the pentagrammaton or the name of Jesus by adding the Hebrew letter ‘shin’ (De verbo mirifico, 1494). The tetragrammaton (4 letters) was thus transformed into a pentagrammation (5 letters). Reuchlin’s later work De arte cabalistica (1517), also present in the BPH, on the other hand gave full credit to the tradition of Hebrew Kabbalah, without any ulterior motives.
Kabbalah‘Rooted in Kemet’
As the first masonic Grand Lodge was founded in London in 1717, the Freemasons are celebrating their third centenary, but they claim a legacy dating back to ancient Egypt. ‘The signs and symbols of ancient and modern Freemasonry are rooted in Kemet (Egypt) and the evidence is overwhelmingly obvious that Freemasonry borrowed its allegorical myths and ideological metaphors from more ancient societies that were well advanced in the philosophical mysteries’, according to the esoteric author Manly P. Hall, himself initiated as a mason in 1954.
The BPH has a small section of masonic works, including standard historiographies like R.F. Gould’s History of Freemasonry, but focuses on the Gold- und Rosenkreuzer, a mystically inclined movement that produced the Geheime Figuren der Rosenkreuzer, a compendium of text and image that has been called ‘the last Hermetic manifesto in the Age of Enlightenment’ by emeritus BPH librarian Carlos Gilly.
FreemasonryMany paths to one goal
A new era began in the study of religions in the middle of the nineteenth century: the search for the meaning of religion and the laws underlying its development received a new boost in the western world thanks to the translation of sacred texts and the availability of religious artefacts yielded by archeology. The chart illustrating the ‘Sources and streams of the faiths of man in all lands; showing the evolution of faiths from the rudest symbolisms to the latest spiritual developments’ accompanying James Forlong’s Rivers of Life (1883) is an eye-catcher in the entrance hall of the Embassy of the Free Mind; in addition to works like James Frazer’s highly influential The Golden Bough (1890), the BPH offers comparative religious studies dealing with Egyptology, pre-Christian cults and early Christianity. From books exploring the relationship between the Hermetica, ancient Egyptian religion and magic and the Hellenistic culture of Alexandria to works which are illustrative of the appeal which the culture of ancient Egypt exerted and still exerts on modern Western esoteric authors and currents, from studies of the parallels to Christianity in pre-Christian cults and myths to works on the diversity of early Christianity, all these books show that there are ‘many paths to one goal’, expressing the best of our common humanity.
Comparative Religion-‘The religion of the heart’
Hazrat Inayat Khan once said: ‘If anybody asks you, “What is Sufism? What religion is it?” you may answer: “Sufism is the religion of the heart, the religion in which the most important thing is to seek God in the heart of mankind.”’ Inayat Khan founded the Sufi Order in the West in 1914, but the followers of this mystical current within Islam trace their precepts back to the founder of Islam Muhammad (d. 632 CE), or his son-in-law Ali. The BPH collection includes works by and on classical authors like the great Sufi philosopher and poet Rumi (1207-1273 CE), but also modern ones like Hazrat Inayat Khan quoted above.
Sufism-‘East is East and West is West’
The India-born British journalist and author Rudyard Kipling appears to underscore the divide between East and West with this famous line, but the rest makes clear that he means to say the exact opposite:
Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet |
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat; |
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, |
When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth! –
When two equals meet, the accidents of birth, whether of nationality, race, or family, do not matter at all—the mutual respect such individuals have, each for the character, prowess, and integrity of the other, are their only criteria for judging and accepting one another. Any differences in ethnicity or religion between such individuals are never even considered. ‘All religions are one’, William Blake famously wrote. There is an essential unity underlying all religions – no religion is superior to the other. Although focused on the Western tradition, the BPH also offers a number of sacred texts from the Eastern traditions, including the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Pali canon and works by Laozi.
Non-Western philosophy and religion‘Theosophy is Hinduism at its best’
‘Theosophy is Hinduism at its best’, Mahatma Gandhi declared in an interview given in 1946. One of the founding figures of theosophy, Madame H.P. Blavatsky, believed there is but one infinite divine life, which is everything and in everything, though she primarily sought wisdom in the East. As such, the Theosophical Society (founded 1875) provided the first introduction of Eastern spirituality to the Western world. The BPH offers first editions of Blavatsky’s works and those of her immediate colleagues and successors. It is an interesting detail that G.R.S. Mead, for a while private secretary to Blavatsky, was one of the first to provide a scholarly edition of the Hermetic works in his Thrice Great Hermes: Studies in Hellenistic Theosophy and Gnosis, published by the Theosophical Publishing Society in 1906: ‘The sympathetic study of this materual may well prove an initiatory process towards an understanding of that Archaic Gnosis’, he wrote in the preface.
Theosophy‘I am concerning myself with only one essential thing: to set man free’
Jiddu Krishnamurti was hailed by the English Theosophical Society as a World Teacher and invited to England, but in 1929 he severed all ties with the theosophical movement and for the rest of his life remained aloof from any religious, political or philosophical dogma, asserting that he was only concerned with ‘one essential thing: to set man free. I desire to free him from all cages, from all fears, and not to found religions, new sects, nor to establish new theories and new philosophies’. Krishnamurti’s thoughts have been collected in numerous speeches, talks and discussions, a significant number of which are to be found in the BPH.
Khrishnamurti-‘Our highest endeavour must be to develop free human beings’
Rudolf Steiner progressed from being the secretary of the German section of Theosophy to become the founder of the Anthroposophical Society. In his search for a universal ‘science of the spirit’, Steiner professed himself inspired by Christianity and Christian Rosenkreuz. It was Steiner’s hope that men and women would develop a kind of ‘ethical individualism’: ‘Our highest endeavour must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives. The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility – these three forces are the very nerve of education.’ In addition to original editions, the BPH owns many of Steiner’s numerous lecture cycles, which were posthumously edited and published by his wife Marie Steiner.
Anthroposophy-The stone that fell from heaven
A chalice, a cup or even a stone (but perhaps a ‘stone that fell from heaven’, as it is mysteriously referred to in Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival): the Grail has been described as having many appearances since it first became the subject of French romances in the thirteenth century. Today the Holy Grail is usually considered to be the cup said to have been used by Christ at the Last Supper. According to the Bible, Jesus shared a final meal with his disciples shortly before he was arrested, tried, and condemned to death. According to legend, one of Jesus’ followers, Joseph of Arimathea, used the same cup to collect a few drops of Christ’s blood during the Crucifixion, thus bestowing it with sacred power. The Grail was said to have supernatural healing power and to be an infinite source of nourishment. To the knights of King Arthur’ s Round Table, it was the most sought-after and cherished object, though it was unrecognizable to those who were unworthy (which, of course, is exactly what happens in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade …, with a humorous nod to the ancient legend). The House with the Heads now boasts The Grail of Amsterdam, but you are also welcome to browse the shelves and read what the BPH has to offer Grail-wise – from medieval romances to the modern Grail movement.
Grail-‘We have relatives among them and we see them living lives of perfection.’
They were known as ‘The Pure’ (the translation of the Greek ‘katharoi’ or Cathars), the followers of this Christian movement inspired by gnostic thought that arose in southern France and Northern Italy in the late Middle Ages. Persecuted by the Catholic Church, they were finally defeated by the Church in the middle of the 13th century, though the Cathars had won the sympathy of the population. In fact, when exhorted to join in the persecution of the Cathars, a member of a Catholic military order answered: ‘We cannot. We have been reared in their midst. We have relatives among them and we see them living lives of perfection.’ The legacy of the Cathars continues to inspire to this day and has even led to the rise of a neo-Cathar movement in the south of France.
Catharism-Two trees eternally separated from each other.
Mani, born not far from present-day Bagdad in the third century CE, founded a religion that thrived for more than a thousand years, spreading to Syria, Egypt, Arabia, Asia Minor, the Balkan, North Africa, Spain, Italy and Gaul. What is fascinating is that the most important Manichaean source texts were only rediscovered in the early 20th century, in as remote a place as Turfan (and also Dunhuang) in China. Mani considered himself to be the ultimate messenger in a long line of messengers that began with Adam and included Buddha, Zarathustra and Jesus. Mani’s religion was strictly dualistic: he viewed the universe as a perpetual conflict between good and evil, light and darkness, using this symbolism of the tree of light and the tree of darkness to convey his meaning.
Manichaeism-God is not pleased.
The alleged guardians of the Grail were arrested in France in the early 14th century on the strength of an arrest warrant that began with the words: ‘God is not pleased. We have enemies of the faith in the kingdom.’ Anyone interested in this mysterious Christian order that was formally disbanded in 1312 but continued to be vilified by the established church will find a selection of historical studies ranging from Julius Gmelin’s Schuld oder Unschuld des Templerordens. Kritischer Versuch zur Lösung der Frage (1893), the work of a historian hailed as someone who has ‘examined with searching minuteness all the voluminous evidence extant relating to the trials’, to the more recent The murdered magicians by Peter Partner (1987), which examines the history of the Knights Templars down to their modern offshoots.
Templars-All but the book of Esther.
It was a discovery almost as spectacular as the discovery of the Nag Hammadi scrolls in Egypt two years previously: in the Qumran caves in 1947, a Bedouin shepherd stumbled across scrolls and fragments that date from the 2nd century BCE until the year 68. The so-called ‘Dead Sea scrolls’ offer insight into the life of a strictly ascetic community in the Second Temple period, and constitute the oldest biblical testimonies, containing parts of all but one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. The question why no fragments from the Book of Esther have ever been found has led to various explanations, from slightly misogynist (the sect at Qumran did not like books dedicated to women) to more commonsensical (the Book of Esther was not canonical at the time the scrolls were compiled).
Qumran (Dead Sea scrolls)Western Esotericism: Convenient Walking Routes for the no longer Perplexed
Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed, is the title of a recent book by Wouter Hanegraaff, Professor of the History of Hermetic Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. It helps the reader find his way into the ‘labyrinth of Western esotericism and out of it again’, as the blurb promises. Hanegraaff explains how in Europe, a movement emerged that offered a ‘third’ way between Christianity and positivist science while building on the ancient, medieval and Renaissance traditions of esoteric thought.
The BPH presents a few convenient ‘walking routes’ within the labyrinth by dividing its Esotericism collecting area into geographical sections, which offers some insight into the networks and key figures operating within each country. In France, for instance, Éliphas Lévi was a prominent occultist who published a few seminal works that were also translated into English and inspired other major French occultists, amongst whom Stanislas de Guaita and Joséphin Péladan. In England the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which was founded by S.L. MacGregor Mathers, W.R. Woodman and W. Wynn Westcott in 1888, was a major movement that attracted a wide following – although the movement also lost members, such as Dion Fortune (ps. of Violet Mary Firth), who, after having joined the Golden Dawn in 1919, left as early as 1921 to found her own ‘Society of the Inner Light’.
Western EsotericismCourses in the Embassy of the Free Mind
During the exhibition Advocate of Free Thought. Adriaan Koerbagh (1633-1669) in the autumn of 2021, the Embassy of the Free Mind offers the following course.
Please note: due to circumstances the course Koerbagh on divine Being, man and society, by Hannah Laurens, has been cancelled
DUTCH | OFFLINE COURSE | Het vrije denken in de Gouden Eeuw: Koerbagh en Spinoza, door Henri Krop
Please note, this course will be Dutch-spoken
De reformatie van de zestiende eeuw maakte bij velen in Europa het verlangen naar vrijheid van denken met name over religieuze vragen wakker. In het begin van het Theologisch-politiek traktaat prijst Spinoza daarom ‘onze vrije republiek’, waar het iedereen is toegestaan om te denken over God zoals hem goeddunkt en Hem te vereren zoals hij wil. Dit veronderstelt de bevrijding van religieuze autoriteit en ging gepaard met een felle kritiek op manipulatie van ‘priesters’ en ‘dominees’ die zich het exclusieve recht aanmatigden de Bijbel uit te leggen.
Vanaf de reformatie stelden ‘gewone’ gelovigen de rede voor zo’n heerschappij van de clerus in de plaats. Ieder mens beschikt immers over het vermogen om te denken, omdat hij ‘geschapen is naar het evenbeeld van God’. Om de mens in staat te stellen effectief over zijn rede te beschikken diende zich in de zeventiende eeuw een machtig instrument aan: de nieuwe natuurwetenschap, die voortbouwde op de ontdekkingen van Copernicus en Galileï en de nieuwe filosofie van Descartes. Zij kon de menselijke rede bevrijden van haar horigheid aan traditie en vooroordeel. Dit proces van zelfbevrijding werd later Verlichting genoemd.
In deze lezingenreeks wordt besproken hoe de 17de-eeuwse denkers Benedictus de Spinoza en Adriaan Koerbagh dachten over vrijheid en hoe zij probeerden deze vrijheid mogelijk te maken. Deze serie vormt zo een inleiding op de tentoonstelling over Koerbagh die van 17 september t/m 19 december 2021 in de Embassy of the Free Mind te zien is.
Bijeenkomst 1: ‘Spinoza en Koerbagh als 17e -eeuwse Aboutalebs’
Spinoza stamt uit een familie van joodse vluchtelingen uit Spanje en Koerbaghs wortels liggen in Duitsland. Beiden maakten gebruik van de kansen die Nederland bood. Wat dachten en schreven ze en wat is de kern van hun beider filosofie?
Literatuur: Ethica Krop inleiding p. 7-9 en 11-20; Leeuwenburgh, Noodlot van een ketter, Inleiding, 7-12 en Krop, Paradoxale icoon van Nederland, p. 94-103.
Bijeenkomst 2: Spinoza en Koerbagh als vaders van de ‘Radicale Verlichting’?
Spinoza’s en Koerbaghs ideeën speelden een belangrijke rol in het ontstaan en de verbreiding van de ‘radicale’ Verlichting, die aan het begin staat van de achttiende-eeuwse Verlichting in Frankrijk en Duitsland. De kern van deze beweging is een pleidooi voor gelijkheid in de samenleving (democratie), mondig burgerschap en de vrijheid van drukpers.
Literatuur: TTP voorrede, p. 82-94 en Spinoza, Briefwisseling 8 en 9, p. 105-112 [Op-versie] .
Bijeenkomst 3: Koerbaghs pleidooi voor een zuiver Nederlands
Hoe kunnen ook gewone mensen in staat worden gesteld om de rede te gebruiken en over filosofische problemen na te denken los van enige elite? Koerbagh meende dat het belangrijk is dat wetenschap en filosofie gebruik maken van een door iedereen te begrijpen taal.
Literatuur: Koerbagh Bloemhof, voorrede, adoleren 24, agnus dei 33, Antichrist 46-47, archangel 58-59, Bibel, 95-97, Christus, 139-140, Clerec, 148, , duyvel 258-259engel 268, epiphanie 271-272,exodus 292-293, gedenkoffer 322, gereformeerd 327-328, heresie 337-338, idolatie 345-346, inquisitie 366-368, jubele 385-386, leviathan metaphysica, 444-445, sacrament 581-582, substantie 609, satan 670. [Digitale Bibliotheek Nederlandse Letteren]
Bijeenkomst 4: Spinoza’s en Koerbaghs pleidooi voor een ‘rationele religie en moraal’
Descartes’ filosofie en de wetenschappelijke revolutie hield een toenemende rationalisering van ons bestaan in. Voor het antwoord op onze vragen over leven en moraal kijken we sindsdien steeds minder naar de godsdienst en traditie, maar naar de wetenschap. Spinoza en Koerbagh hebben aan dit proces van secularisatie en ‘onttovering van het bestaan’ bijgedragen. Zien zij echter nog een toekomst voor de religie na de ‘dood van een persoonlijke God’?
Teksten: Ethica I, st. 16 en 17, IIstel. 49s slot, IV, st37s1, V, st. 16-19 en stel. 36 en Koerbagh Een ligt, 1, p. 13-15 en 85-90.
Over Henri Krop
Henri Krop (1954) werd in 1988 aangesteld als universitair docent aan de faculteit wijsbegeerte van de Erasmusuniversiteit in zijn geboortestad Rotterdam. Tot zijn pensioen in december 2020 gaf hij uiteenlopende cursussen over de geschiedenis van de filosofie van de Oudheid tot en met de negentiende eeuw.
In 1995 begon hij aan de vertaling van de Ethica van Spinoza in de reeks Nederlandse klassieken van uitgeverij Prometheus/Bert Bakker. Deze Latijns-Nederlandse editie verscheen in 2002 en beleefde in 2019 haar tiende druk. In 2014 verscheen van zijn hand Spinoza. Een paradoxale icoon van Nederland, dat de merkwaardige geschiedenis beschrijft van hoe de immigranten-zoon Spinoza met zijn duistere metafysica in de canon van het ‘nuchtere’ Nederland terecht is gekomen.
Data
zaterdag 16 oktober 2021
zaterdag 30 oktober 2021
zaterdag 13 november 2021
zaterdag 27 november 2021
Tijd
16.00 uur inloop
16.15-17.15 uur les
17.15-17.35 uur pauze
17.35-18.05 uur gelegenheid tot vragen stellen
Locatie
De cursus wordt gegeven in de Embassy of the Free Mind.
Taal
Nederlands
Cursusmateriaal
De literatuur krijgt u aan het begin van de cursus uitgereikt.
Kosten
€ 120,-, incl. cursusmateriaal.
Let op: de cursus is een totaalpakket. Het is niet mogelijk afzonderlijke lessen te volgen.
Minimum aantal deelnemers
12
ARCHIVE
14, 21 and 28 JUNE 2020 - Online Course | Jung & the Great Work of Alchemy
The mysteries of alchemy have drawn many to the secrets hidden within its ancient images and texts. To this day there remains an aura of mystery around these extraordinary teachings which originated in Egypt. One of the profound thinkers in recent history was the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung who made alchemy accessible to the man and woman of our time. He discovered in the alchemical tradition the phases of transformation that the deep psyche undergoes as it moves through the process of awakening that he called “individuation”. After his own deep initiatory encounter with the collective unconscious, beginning in 1913, he discovered that the imagery and texts of the alchemists were very similar to the material surfacing in his own dreams and active imaginations as well as in those of his patients. This gave him the foundation for his own work in making the mysteries of the psyche accessible to his contemporaries and to us.
In this course we will explore the tradition of alchemy from a depth-psychological perspective, being led by the work of Anne Baring who has written and reflected expansively on this subject. We will examine the alchemical stages of Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo in both microcosm as well as macrocosm. What do these stages mean for us individually and how can we view our current collective crisis through this lens? What stage of alchemy are we in collectively and how can this lens help us in this time of the pandemic?
Participation: via Zoom. After purchasing a ticket for the course you will receive an email with instructions. Every week you will also receive a digital hand-out accompanying the class. Come join this online group with likeminded people!
Language: English
Dates: 14 - 21 - 28 JUNE 2020 (no individual classes possible)
Time: 17.00 - 18.30h CEST
17.00 - 18.30h AMSTERDAM
11.00h - 12.30h NEW YORK
08.00h - 09.30h LOS ANGELES
Course fee: € 99 / $110
PLEASE NOTE: ONLY LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE!
APPLY HERE
This is a three-part introductory course that will be followed up later this year with an in-depth exploration of the same themes. You will have to have participated in this one, to be able to enroll for the follow-up course.
Faranak Mirjalili is a Jungian Analyst trained and based in The Netherlands. Her current work and research revolve around connecting individual psychology to collective mythologies and how active participation in myth can help both the individual and collective psyche transform during the Analytical process. She’s the founder of the Anima Mundi School where she works with a small collective of women worldwide from various fields that bring together psychology, the mythic imagination, and the creative arts.
www.faranakmirjalili.net
www.animamundischool.org
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2, 9, 16, 23, 30 NOVEMBER & 7 DECEMBER 2019 - Course, Hildegard of Bingen: a twelfth-century visionary woman. Scivias, a pilgrimage of the soul.
Please note: this course will be in Dutch
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a brilliant woman, an exceptional thinker and gifted composer. In her time she had great influence as a visionary, founder of two monasteries, scholar, and author of many writings. Yet until the end of her life she called herself "indocta" (unlearned). Only in her forty-third year of life did she put her visions and spiritual experiences in writing, encouraged by God to do so. This is how her first trilogy, Liber Scivias (the Book of Know the Roads) about the pilgrimage of the soul, was conceived as her personal history of history, as well as a spiritual travel guide.
In this course, Hildegard of Bingen translator Mieke Rademakers-Kock will discuss six visions from Scivias. The course will be in Dutch. Read more
16, 23 and 30 NOVEMBER 2019 - Course, Base Metal into Gold: Jung & the Great Work of Alchemy by Jungian Analyst Faranak Mirjalili
The mysteries of alchemy have drawn many to the secrets hidden within its ancient images and texts. To this day there remains an aura of mystery around these extraordinary teachings which originated in Egypt. One of the profound thinkers in recent history was the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung who made alchemy accessible to the man and woman of our time. He discovered in the alchemical tradition the phases of transformation that the deep psyche undergoes as it moves through the process of awakening that he called “individuation”. After his own deep initiatory encounter with the collective unconscious, beginning in 1913, he discovered that the imagery and texts of the alchemists were very similar to the material surfacing in his own dreams and active imaginations as well as in those of his patients. This gave him the foundation for his own work in making the mysteries of the psyche accessible to his contemporaries and to us.
In this course we will explore the tradition of alchemy from a depth-psychological perspective, being led by the work of Anne Baring who has written and reflected expansively on this subject. We will examine the alchemical stages of Nigredo, Albedo and Rubedo in both microcosm as well as macrocosm. What do these stages mean for us individually and how can we view our current collective environmental, social and political crises through this lens? What stage of alchemy are we in collectively and how can this lens help us in this time?
Faranak Mirjalili is a myth- and storyteller and a Jungian Dreamwork teacher. She is a student of the works of C. G. Jung and in training as a Jungian Analyst in The Netherlands. As a research student in the field of Feminine Consciousness and Embodiment, she focuses on the connection of the organs and spiritual centres of the body to the personal and collective unconscious, with an emphasis on the importance of the heart in the transformation of consciousness. Her interest and work are on how the body and wisdom of a new emerging Feminine can be of service in a time of global ecological crisis.
Dates: 16, 23 and 30 November
Time: 11.30h - 13.30h
Language: English
Course fee: € 75,-
Please note: only 15 places available!
SOLD OUT !
The Dream of the Cosmos. History of the Feminine Consciousness - Part Two - 2019
Following part I of the course entitled 'The Dream of the Cosmos. History of the Feminine Consciousness', now follows PART TWO of this course with a continuation of three lessons. It is not necessary to have followed the first part of the course.
ABOUT THE COURSE
In Part 1 of this Course, we explored the history of human consciousness and how it has changed during the past eras, staring with the Lunar Era - the Palaeolithic, Neolithic & Bronze Age - into the Solar Era - starting with the Iron Age - where masculine values started to become more important and the feminine started to recede into the collective shadow.
In the next three classes, we will dive into a practical understanding and approach of the work of Carl Jung, who brought forth a reconnection to the Feminine in the modern language of depth-psychology. We’ll explore his connection and love for Alchemy and his discovery of the Shadow and the Collective Unconscious.
Dates: 16, 23, 30 June
Time: 11.30-13.30 hours
Fee: € 60,-
Language: English
Class 1
Carl Jung, Dreamwork & Alchemy
In the class we will cover the work of Carl Jung, what he did for the West and why this is of importance in our time. We will look at the world Individuation as oppose to ‘individualisation’ and try to penetrate into the true meaning of this word. What was the contribution of Jung and what did he recover in his own discoveries with the collective unconscious and the later studies of Alchemy? What is the importance reclaiming our Shadow through connecting to our Dreams and how do we reclaim a relationship to the ‘otherworld’ through Dreamwork?
Study material: Chapter 10, 11, and 18 of The Dream of the Cosmos
Class 2
The Shadow, the Collective Unconscious & the Primordial Soul
One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. — Carl Jung
In the class we will go more in depth with the work of Carl Jung, with emphasis on the Shadow - both Personal and Collective. In the time of patriarchy, what has gone into our collective shadow? How can we reclaim the Feminine in a time where she has been unknown to us for millennia? What does the image of the Dragon have to do with the collective shadow? During this class, we will dive into ways of working with the shadow and we will explore our collective shadows as emphasised in Anne’s book: The Shadow of Religion, the Shadow of Politics & Science: in other words: how can we recognise shadow both on a personal level and collective one and work with its images?
Study material: Chapter 12 and 13 of The Dream of the Cosmos
Class 3
Sleeping Beauty: a fairy tale of our time.
In the class we will dive into the importance of Mythology and Fairytales, and what wisdom they hold, how the ancients worked with myth and stories. How did myths come into being and how can we reclaim our relationship to the ancient gods and goddesses through story?
The Fairytale of Sleeping Beauty as a metaphor for our time. Faranak will be doing a storytelling of this tale and we will collectively as a group, reflect on the symbolism and its significance. The aim of this class is to work with the imagination, and allow this to surface within the participants.
Study material: Interlude One of The Dream of the Cosmos
ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF 'THE DREAM OF THE COSMOS'
Anne Baring is a pioneer in the historical research of the feminine aspect of the gods… She addresses the real cultural roots of the multifaceted crisis we currently experience globally - spiritually, psychologically, ecologically, socially, politically and economically. Baring derived inspiration from the ideas that are present in the Embassy of the Free Mind, which is also why she personally embraces the initiative. As a young researcher, Faranak Mirjalili will bring these ideas closer to us.
ABOUT FARANAK MIRJALILI
Faranak Mirjalili is a myth- and storyteller and a Jungian Dreamwork teacher. She is a student of the works of C. G. Jung and in Training as a Jungian Analyst in The Netherlands. As a research student in the field of Feminine Consciousness and Embodiment, she focuses on the connection of the organs and spiritual centres of the body to the personal and collective unconscious, with an emphasis on the importance of the heart in the transformation of consciousness. Her interest and work are on how the body and wisdom of a new emerging Feminine can be of service in a time of global ecological crisis.
Faranak works in both groups and individually. Her work and research aim to break out of the individual therapy room and make space for group-work by connecting to the collective ‘Mundus Imaginalis’ through the world of Myth and Fairytales. She offers workshops in Europe and teaches myth and dreamwork internationally to students through her Online Program. More info and online articles about Faranak: www.faranakmirjalili.net
The Dream of the Cosmos: Introduction to the History of the Feminine. Feminine Consciousness and the Rise of a New Story - 2019
Following our lecture on the History of the Feminine Consciousness from 18 April, we now introduce a 3-class course on the same theme: The Dream of the Cosmos: Introduction to the History of the Feminine. Feminine Consciousness and the Rise of a New Story.
ABOUT THE COURSE
Who and what is the Goddess? How did the world look like before patriarchy and the rise of science and technology? What price do we pay for the modern life we live, the comfort and technological advances we enjoy every day?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF 'THE DREAM OF THE COSMOS'
Anne Baring is a pioneer in the historical research of the feminine aspect of the gods… She addresses the real cultural roots of the multifaceted crisis we currently experience globally - spiritually, psychologically, ecologically, socially, politically and economically. Baring derived inspiration from the ideas that are present in the Embassy of the Free Mind, which is also why she personally embraces the initiative. As a young researcher, Faranak Mirjalili will bring these ideas closer to us.
ABOUT FARANAK MIRJALILI
Faranak Mirjalili is a myth- and storyteller and a Jungian Dreamwork teacher. She is a student of the works of C. G. Jung and in Training as a Jungian Analyst in The Netherlands. As a research student in the field of Feminine Consciousness and Embodiment, she focuses on the connection of the organs and spiritual centres of the body to the personal and collective unconscious, with an emphasis on the importance of the heart in the transformation of consciousness. Her interest and work are on how the body and wisdom of a new emerging Feminine can be of service in a time of global ecological crisis.
Faranak works in both groups and individually. Her work and research aim to break out of the individual therapy room and make space for group-work by connecting to the collective ‘Mundus Imaginalis’ through the world of Myth and Fairytales. She offers workshops in Europe and teaches myth and dreamwork internationally to students through her Online Program. More info and online articles about Faranak: www.faranakmirjalili.net
DATE: 19 May - 26 May - 2 June 2019
TIME: 12.00 - 13.30h
TICKETS: € 60 for the whole course. Please note that it's not possible to take individual classes. Tickets available from Monday 6 May. Be fast before it's sold out, since we only have 20 spots available! Book your ticket here.
LANGUAGE: English
Class 1
The Lunar Era - A return to the Goddess
In the first class we will look back into what is known as the ‘Lunar Era’. A return to the time of the Great Mother and the Goddess. What does lunar consciousness mean and how is this different from what we know today? What did a ‘kinship with all of creation’ look like and what can we learn from these ancient civilisations like the neolithic era? How did we start to lose this Lunar consciousness? We will touch on various myths and images from ancient civilisations where the Great Mother was the prevailing image of Deity. We will explore the early signs of masculine consciousness coming down in the ancient civilisations of Sumeria, which made a slight shift in feminine consciousness from the image of the Great Mother to the Great Goddess Inanna, and later Ishtar.
Study material: Part 1 and 2 of The Dream of the Cosmos
Class 2
Solar Era - Masculine consciousness & Patriarchy
In this class we will focus on the Solar consciousness and the rise of masculine consciousness, and how this moved into Patriarchy. When did ‘God in nature’ disappear into the a distant ‘sky god’ and what was the original purpose of masculine consciousness and the rise of the ‘warrior hero’? We will explore the shift from tribal consciousness where the ‘participation mystique’ was a natural way of being, into the individualisation and the rise of the importance of the individual vs. the group/tribe. How did this connect to the emergence of the ego, separated from the deeper matrix of the unconscious?
We will focus on the damage of a Solar consciousness that excluded and exiled the feminine, the diffused light of the Moon and what damage this has done to both psyche and matter. From Micro to Macro, what have been the consequences of this one pointed focus that exiled the feminine? What price have we paid for the evolution of science and technology and what does this have to do with the original rise of masculine consciousness?
Study material: Part Three of The Dream of the Cosmos
Class 3
The Return of the Anima Mundi
the Soul of the Cosmos - the meeting of Alchemy and Science
In this third class we will come into a meeting point of the ancient with the modern, what Anne Baring calls ‘the new science’. The new discoveries in science are taking us towards the revealing of an ‘ensouled cosmos’. How does this connect us to ancient wisdom of the alchemists ‘Anima Mundi’ and why is this a significant moment in time? We will connect Alchemy with Scientific discoveries and discuss what is needed on a micro-level to move with this new consciousness into a new story. What does it take for a new story to emerge individually and collectively? How can we reclaim nature as the ‘garment of God’?
Study material: Part 5 (and optional part 4) of The Dream of the Cosmos
Courses
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE RITMAN LIBRARY
Do you believe it is important that our collection and our ideas are preserved for future generations? With your contribution you support our mission to make universal wisdom accessible and applicable for everyone.
SUPPORT THE EMBASSY OF THE FREE MIND
Help us build a community of free minds that connects us all around the world. Together we can ensure that the collection of the Embassy of the Free Mind - the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica - will also be available for our children. Any contribution is welcome. Select an amount of your choice.
Thank you for your donation.
U.S.-based donors can support our activities in a tax-efficient way through a contribution to the American Friends of The Ritman Library Fund at the King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS).
100% of your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by US law. Your donation is made to Every.org, a tax-exempt US 501(c)(3) charity that grants unrestricted funds to the American Friends Fund set up for Ritman Library - Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica collection of the Embassy of the Free Mind hosted at the King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS) on your behalf.
More info: https://www.every.org/ritman-library-bibliotheca-philosophica-hermetica-nl
American Friend FundHouse rules for your visit to the Embassy of the Free Mind
You are very welcome to visit our museum to read, study or explore the pearls of two thousand years of free thought!
Online tickets
To buy an online ticket for a specific time slot, click here.
What to bring with you? A headset and a charged phone or tablet
We have developed an audio tour taking you past a number of the museum’s highlights. You can listen to the audio tour on your mobile phone or tablet (so make sure they are sufficiently charged!) and using your own headset or earbuds. We do not sell earbuds ourselves. Should you not have a phone or a tablet, we have a limited number of iPads you can borrow.
Any questions?
Do you still have any questions? Have a look at our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page. Did you not find the answer you’re looking for? Please do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
General rules Embassy of the Free Mind visit
- You must be in possession of a valid entrance ticket (day pass or annual pass).
- Please leave your coats and bags in one of the lockers or in the cloakroom.
- Eating and drinking is only allowed in our café.
- Smoking is not allowed.
- You only have access to the public areas on the ground floor and the first floor.
- Please act respectfully towards the museum staff, other visitors and the building at all times.
- No animals allowed.
Rules for consulting books
- Books must be consulted in the reading room on the first floor.
- You may use your own laptop. Wifi is available throughout the building.
- You may take books from the open shelves but please make sure to put them back in the exact same place.
- Writing in books or damaging them in any way is strictly forbidden.
- You are not allowed to take books out of the building. The staff may ask you to inspect your bags when you leave the museum.
- Please apply by e-mail two days in advance to consult pre-1800 books or manuscripts. You will need to sign a form for this.
- You must adhere to the special regulations laid down in the form for consulting pre-1800 material.
If one of these rules is not respected, employees are authorized to request visitors to leave the premises or, if necessary, to call in the police.
House rules
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch Republic, headed by the city of Amsterdam, was one of the few places in Europe to enjoy a considerable amount of freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Amsterdam as a havenThe Embassy of the Free Mind is supported by:
Batelaan, M. H.
Beersum, van, J.
Besseling, T.
Bleijenberg, G.M.M.
Bleijenberg, W.A.C.
Bosga, W.L.
Brinckman, P
Cunningham, I.M.
Das, I.
Dirks, M.C.
Don, N.
Duivenvoorden, L.T.H.
Duivenvoorden, M.
Elshof, N.
Euverman, H.A.
Gast, de, A.J.C.
Geer, de, D.B.
Geer, de, I.T.
Goedings, G. J. E.
Götz, S.
Heide, van der, J.
Heteren, van I.K.
Hofstee, F.
Hofstee, M.
Hollander, A.
Kalken, van, I.
Klein Wassink, B.G.
Kleverlaan, J.J.
Knip, K.
Koole, B.
Koppius, A.M.
Loo, van der W.M.W.
Loon, van, P.P.J.
Loop, van der, M.
Marintsis, J.
Martinez Gallardo, P.
Minderhoud, A.
Mulock Houwer, A.
Niekerk, van, T.W.A.
Nuijten, J.A.M.
Pellikaan, G.R.
Pesch, L.K.M.
Phijffer, A.H.M.
Reichert, P.
Reichert, U.
Rodrigues Martinez, P.V.
Schuil, B.
Stoop, N.
Sträter, P.J. M.
Vermeulen, N.M.I.
Vries, de, C. J.
Wees, van, P.
Wijk, van, J.P.
Wijn, P.
Our benefactors
The Worldheart Foundation is a non-profit foundation. We would like to ask you to help build the ‘Embassy of the Free Mind’. There are different ways of becoming involved, by becoming a volunteer but also by making a donation.
Become a founder
Since 2012 The Ritman Library has been actively sharing knowledge, information and activities to acquaint the widest and most international audience possible with Hermetic thought.
Activities
All activities taking place in The Embassy of the Free Mind will also be shared online from now on.
Infinite Fire Webinars
A number of webinars have been recorded in association with the Chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy featuring Prof. Wouter Hanegraaff, Dr Peter Forshaw and Dr Marco Pasi. They offered a number of in-depth presentations on subjects relating to the collection based on original sources from the collection.
Infinite Fire Interviews
Following the example of the webinars, interviews are regularly held with experts in the field of the collecting areas.
Exhibitions
Throughout the years various exhibitions have been organised at home and abroad which have likewise been documented.
Fireworks shows
It has become a tradition on New Year’s Eve to stage a spectacular fireworks show across from Amsterdam’s Westerkerk, each year devoted to a different theme.
Social Media
Interesting texts and images from the collection are shared on the social media of The Ritman Library under various headings on a daily basis.
Online platform