Imagination is not a state, it is the Human Existence itself.
William Blake

Art and the Imagination have always been an inseparable part of the Western Mystery Tradition. During the guided meditations, students are taught to turn their realizations into visions, and these visions often lead to works of art. The result is an endless stream of artistic expressions that vary in form: from Greek Drama to Mozart’s Zauberflöte, from the Egyptian Royal Tombs to the paintings of Waterhouse, from Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to William Blake’s poetry.

An important source of inspiration for Hermetic Art has always been astrology. The constellations in the starry sky gave – and still give – rise to mythical stories. They always build a bridge between the starry heavens, the earth and the underworld according to the principle ‘As Above, so Below.’ This is the origin of the Tarot cards, a series of 78 Arcana, based on four concentric rings of celestial bodies, connected to four levels of consciousness. Together they form a Memory Castle; the Grail Castle with the surrounding Enchanted Land.

The Book of the Caves – Tarot

I am currently working on the tarot deck that comes forth from the teachings of the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences. This tarot deck is called; ‘The Book of the Caves’. The name of this deck is inspired by Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’.

The ancient Initiates of the Western Mystery Tradition assumed that people live in their own cave – a metaphor for a limited form of perception. The caves are patterns of consciousness and behavior that lead to karmic experiences. Each cave is unique. It is basically empty, until someone comes who enters the cave and turns out to be sensitive to that pattern. Then that person becomes entangled in the experiences of the Cave, until he realizes that his experiences come forth on his own illusions and imagination. He is able to leave the trouble behind when he is able to transform his own weak spot.

The main character in The Book of the Caves, is the Fool named Heru. Heru is an ancient Egyptian word, meaning ‘Light’. The Fool is you, as you travel through your experiences. Through creative i-magi-nation you travel through the Enchanted Land (your life) and you face all kinds of challenges. Your problems are over at the moment you are able to leave the Cave in which you are entangled.

The Tarot cards of The Book of the Caves’ are intended as a focal point for guided meditations. Through the so-called ‘Pathworkings’, the images open the gate of the I-magi-nation to the Inner Landscapes, in which countless magical treasures and magical abilities can be found.

On this webpage I will publish if there is news about the tarot deck. In the meantime I publish the cards and the corresponding meditations in the shop.