Many of the original images bear a resemblance to characters and themes in the Triumphs of Petrarch, a series of poems written between 1340 and 1374; the Triumph of Love, the Triumph of Chastity, then…
David V. Barrett on the origins and secrecy of speculative Freemasonry
Whatever its provenance, there is little doubt that Freemasonry was ‘born’ in Scotland rather than England. There were strong romantic links between Scotland, France, Freemasonry, pseudo-chivalry and the Jacobites […]. The creation of a London-based…
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Объ однополыхъ бракахъ
Въ фейсбучной лентѣ идетъ очередная дискуссія объ однополыхъ бракахъ – на этотъ разъ въ исходномъ постѣ главный редакторъ Московскаго центра Карнеги угрюмо сообщаетъ, что “съ экономическимъ ростомъ проблемы” въ нашемъ отечествѣ оттого, что, мы въ…
Еще объ асимметріи
Идея разумности и цѣлесообразности двойной этической – а въ предѣльномъ развитіи этого аргумента и юридической – бухгалтеріи по отношенію къ представителямъ привилегированныхъ группъ, напримѣръ въ видѣ смягченія стандартовъ убѣдительности въ ихъ изобличеніи (“вѣрить жертвѣ”, что…
David V. Barrett on speculative Freemasonry & Rosicrucians
It cannot be seriously doubted that that there was some form of causative link, direct or indirect, between the Rosicrucians and the early speculative Freemasons. Freemasonry appeared shortly after the Rosicrucians, who grow out of…
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David V. Barrett on Assassins (& Knights Templar)
Hasan-i-Sabbah was a Persian Twelver who converted to Ismailism and became an enthusiastic missionary for its cause, and a supporter of Nizar. In his youth he studied alongside the future tentmaker, astronomer and poet Omar…
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David V. Barrett on Rosicrucians
Others whom the present-day Orders claim to have been early Rosicrucians, annd who were certainly associated with the ideas of the movement, include the mystic Thomas Vaughan (1621-65); the astrologer William Lilly (1602-81); Sir Kenelm…
David V. Barrett on a ludibrium
Was there actually a body called the Rosicrucians? It seems very unlikely. The life-story of their founder and leader, Christian Rosy Cross, was very obviously allegorical. It has even been suggested that the Fama could…
David V. Barrett on John Dee and the British Museum
His [John Dee’s] donation of 4,000 of his own books to a new national library was later one of the starting points of the British Museum. – A Brief History of Secret Societies: An Unbiased…
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David V. Barrett on the liana
It is easy to see how Jewish Cabalists, Christian Gnostics and Muslim Sufs have more in common with each other than with their parent religions – ans also to see why the orthodox ‘establishments’ of…