Résultats lu par "Matthew Schmitz" dans Toutes les catégories

There are books that awaken the intellect, books that stir the heart—and then, rarest of all, there are books that shift the fabric of reality, that open quiet doors in the mind through which something older, stranger, and more beautiful begins to seep in. A Dreamer’s Tales is such a book. In this book, Lord Dunsany does not merely tell stories. He conjures realms beneath reason, cities where time is a superstition, and gods born from silence.

Few works in human history have shaped the course of warfare, strategy, and leadership as profoundly as The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Written over 2,500 years ago during China’s Warring States period, this timeless treatise transcends its origins as a military manual, offering wisdom that applies not only to warfare but to politics, business, diplomacy, and personal growth. At its core, The Art of War is a philosophy of strategy—one that emphasizes intelligence, adaptability, and the mastery of conflict through knowledge rather than brute force.

There are books that speak plainly, and then there are those that conceal their truths behind veils of symbol and secrecy. An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King belongs to the latter—a text written not for the casual listener, but for the seeker, the alchemist, the one who dares to unlock nature’s deepest mysteries. Attributed to the enigmatic adept Eirenaeus Philalethes, this work stands as a beacon in the vast sea of alchemical wisdom.

This is the voice of the Aeon, the word that reshapes the path of the initiated. The Book of the Law is not merely a text—it is a transmission, a cipher of the cosmos, a revelation dictated beyond the veil of mortal understanding. It speaks in symbols, in silence, in fire and force. It does not beg to be understood; it demands to be lived.

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered spiritual and philosophical texts in Hindu tradition, forming a part of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. It is presented as a dialogue between Lord Krishna and the warrior Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, moments before the start of a great war. Arjuna, faced with the dilemma of fighting against his own relatives and teachers, is overcome by doubt and despair. Seeking guidance, he turns to Krishna, who serves as his charioteer and divine teacher.

This is a collection of five alchemical tracts written by one of the most famous alchemists who was said to have discovered the Philosopher's Stone. In these writings, Paracelsus attempts to educate the listener about the nature of the Philosopher's Stone and the scientific principles from which we can be assured of its existence and understand how it works. Like all alchemical tracts, the language is very cryptic and allegorical, so as to be unintelligible to the unworthy.

The Six Keys of Eudoxus is a short but important manuscript within alchemy. Ascribed to an ancient philosopher, it dates to the Renaissance and describes a simplistic set of methods by which alkahest and the philosopher's stone can be made.

Heralding from the famed Emerald Tablet, Mead examines the phrase, As Above So Below, and primarily as it pertains to Theosophy.

The Hymns of Hermes examines Hermetic ecstatic hymns, which are songs of a poetic nature used to describe the Gnosis of Hermetic attainment and the ecstatic personal experience of the divine.

The Gods of Pegana is the first book by Anglo-Irish fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, published on a commission basis in 1905. The book is a series of short stories linked by Dunsany's invented pantheon of deities who dwell in Pegana, and was a huge influence on authors such as Lovecraft and Tolkien. This is one of my favorite works of weird fantasy fiction by Lord Dunsany, and is a masterful cosmological piece of indulgent prose that actually contains some sublime wisdom between the lines.

Dreams are part of common experience, yet a mystery that is little understood. Psychologists and others who are ignorant of the human being's true constitution, ranging across several subtle levels, are only groping to learn their significance.

Frank Hamel's Human Animals (published in 1915) is an infamous and classic treatise on the mythology and the evidence of hybrid humans. This was one of the first popular works on cryptozoology, and a primer for those interested in the many stories and accounts of lycanthropy and other strange evolutionary paradoxes.

The Festival, written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1923 and first published in Weird Tales in 1925, is a dark and atmospheric tale steeped in ancient rituals, ancestral mysteries, and Lovecraft’s signature cosmic horror. Set in the fictional town of Kingsport, Massachusetts, the story exemplifies Lovecraft’s ability to weave together eerie folklore, haunting landscapes, and an overwhelming sense of dread. The narrative follows an unnamed protagonist who journeys to Kingsport to partake in an ancient Yuletide festival at the invitation of his ancestors.

The Kybalion is a book originally published in 1908 by "Three Initiates" that purports to convey the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus. A modern Hermetic tract, it has been widely influential in New Age circles since the 20th century. A central concept in the book is that there are "seven Hermetic principles, upon which the entire Hermetic philosophy is based".

Translated as Thus Spake Zarathustra, this book is a work of philosophical fiction written by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It was published in four volumes between 1883 and 1885. The protagonist is nominally the historical Zoroaster.

The Book of Lambspring is one of the few real-life cases of a centuries-old book on alchemy. Nicolas Barnaud was a French Protestant writer, physician and alchemist, from Crest, in Dauphiné, from which he took the name Delphinas. He was a member of the Monarchomaques. He is associated with a number of mysteries.

The Burden of Isis, being the laments of Isis and Nephthys, translated from the Egyptian by James Teackle Dennis, was first published in 1910. This edition is from a reprint in 1918. Includes "The Laments of Isis and Nephthys", "The Chants", and "Hymn to Osiris-Sokar".

The Thing on the Roof, written by Robert E. Howard in 1932, is a chilling tale that masterfully blends elements of Lovecraftian cosmic horror with Howard’s signature sense of adventure and danger. First published in Weird Tales in 1932, this story exemplifies Howard’s ability to craft narratives that delve into forbidden knowledge, ancient relics, and the inevitable consequences of tampering with forces beyond human comprehension.

The Frost-Giant’s Daughter, written by Robert E. Howard in 1932, is one of the earliest tales of Conan the Barbarian, set in the mythical Hyborian Age. Originally rejected by Weird Tales magazine during Howard’s lifetime, the story was later published posthumously in 1953 in The Coming of Conan. This tale stands out for its dreamlike quality, blending raw, brutal action with haunting, mythic beauty.

The Hyborian Age is Robert E. Howard’s sweeping essay that serves as the mythological and historical backdrop to his legendary Conan the Barbarian stories. Written in 1932 and first published in The Phantagraph in 1936, this work is a vivid tapestry of fictional prehistory, weaving together epic migrations, fallen civilizations, and heroic struggles into a cohesive narrative that breathes life into Howard’s fantastical world.