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The general use of Art and symbol in cult and magic rituals has been employed since at least the Neolithic era and was used throughout ancient cultures. These early representations have evolved into a rich Artistic tradition with symbol and markings as diverse as the the sigils of Occultist Austin Osman Spare and symbology of modern avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky. That such a concept of the goddess would undergird a new, more complex understanding of femininity is one of the most enduring and fascinating legacies of the 19th-century occult revival. Of course, this renewed archetype was very much of its time, emerging as an antidote to the rigidity and decay of an industrial, patriarchal society and mired in the anxieties of this context. This ambivalence is palpable in the works of numerous Symbolist artists and, indeed, these images are widely credited with having introduced the figure of the femme fatale. Often appearing as a powerful, mythical figure or a hybrid creature such as the sphinx, harpy or chimera – itself a manifestation of mutable, chthonic power – the femme fatale intertwines death and sexuality, invoking our most immediate impressions of destruction and creation. Fernand Khnopff’s painting The Caresses (1896) belongs to this repertoire: an image of affection and obsession, in which the sphinx embraces an androgynous Oedipus, her indulgent expression at odds with her tensed, possessive bearing. The erotic, commanding female figure also appears in several works by Gustave Moreau, whose 1864 Oedipus and the Sphinx inspired Khnopff’s canvas. Moreau’s The Apparition (1876–77) is one of the most recognizable images of the femme fatale, depicting a semi-nude, bejewelled Salome conjuring the gruesome head of John the Baptist, the rich, red tones of his encrusted, streaming blood echoed in her sumptuous robe. According to Spare, who was prone to embellishing his biography, he also received a commission for a portrait from Adolph Hitler in 1936. The Führer was apparently impressed with Spare’s Self Portrait as Hitler. British journalist Hannen Swaffer recounts that Spare, an ardent anti-Nazi who tried to enlist in 1939 at the age of 53, made a copy of the painting and sent it with a note as a reply “to the man who wanted to master Europe and dominate mankind”: Only from negations can I wholesomely conceive you. For I know of no courage sufficient to stomach your aspirations and ultimates. If you are superman, let me be for ever animal. The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism and their varied spells. It can also refer to supernatural ideas like extra-sensory perception and parapsychology. Now that discussions around feminism, gender, and power dynamics are increasingly vital, it’s the perfect moment to celebrate female artists who draw inspiration from surrealism.”
Most artists may be engaged in an occult practice without realising that they are. They have, of course, their own art school and peer group initiatory processes with some who, like th Ancient alphabet used throughout North Europe and prominent in Scandinavia, used in modern times by various religious faiths, such as Asatru. Jodorowsky's films have had a major influence on the surrealist and avant-garde movements, and he is considered a pioneer of the midnight movie genre. Some of his most famous films include "El Topo" (1970), "The Holy Mountain" (1973), and "Santa Sangre" (1989). In addition to his work in film, Jodorowsky has also been a successful author, publishing numerous books on spiritual, occult and philosophical subjects. Sacred Geometry For the Symbolists, esoteric knowledge was a means of accessing the scope of the mind and the quintessence beyond appearances. And fin-de-siècle Paris had no shortage of material: Edmond Bailly’s Librairie de l’art indépendant (Bookshop of Independent Art), established in 1888, became a central meeting point for Symbolist artists and writers and for the discussion of occult topics, while Lucien Chamuel’s Librairie du merveilleux (Bookshop of the Marvellous) was popular with mystics and scholars. Theosophy was particularly influential. Founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and her colleagues in New York in 1875, the Theosophical Society aimed to distil common elements from the world’s religions and esoteric traditions and establish an essential, universal understanding. The idea of fundamental principles that could bridge East and West, Christ and the Buddha, was immensely attractive to a number of artists – particularly in a context of colonial expansion, which aroused interest in similarities as well as in differences. The artist Odilon Redon was amongst those who frequented Bailly’s bookshop. Engaged in Theosophy – particularly Édouard Schuré’s comparative studies of religious prophets – as well as Buddhist and Indian philosophy, Redon realized numerous depictions of religious figures that evade traditional iconography and narratives. He focused instead on themes of light, death and introspection, as in The Death of Buddha (c.1899) and The Sacred Heart (The Buddha) (c.1906), which was closely based on an 1895 drawing the artist had made of Christ and then renamed.The eye of God within a triangle, representing the Holy Trinity, and surrounded by holy light, representing His omniscience. Victoria Jenkins: This book tells a tale of the occult imagination and curiosity, often found in surprising places. Tate Britain’s 19th-century neoclassical architectural style is often associated with philosophies of the enlightenment, where magical practices and supernatural beliefs were discredited as superstition and something to be consigned to the past. Yet even the building’s walls are flanked by sculptures of sphinxes, mythological creatures associated with riddles and protectors of secrets. A great many artworks in this book are also very much at odds with the myth of a British sensibility that is reserved, stifled and prosaic. There is much wonder and weirdness to be celebrated! Faivre, Antoine (1994). Access to Western Esotericism. SUNY Series in Western Esoteric Traditions. Albany, New York: SUNY Press. ISBN 0-7914-2178-3.
Gibbons, B. J. (2018). Spirituality and the Occult: From the Renaissance to the Modern Age. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0415244480.
Sacred Geometry
When was the artistic curiosity about magic at its peak? And what would say accounted for the rise in interest? Images created for magical purposes, sometimes attributed as signatures of demons, angels, and other beings.
Marco Pasi suggested that the use of Hanegraaff's definition might cause confusion by presenting a group of nineteenth-century esotericists who called themselves "occultists" as just one part of a broader category of esotericists whom scholars would call "occultists". [39] Finally, the occult was also used to explore the power of the imagination. Many of the works of the period featured fantastical creatures and landscapes, which were often used to explore the power of the imagination and to evoke a sense of wonder and mystery. It could be argued that I have missed the point - a great deal of art is intrinsically occult and inexplicable to the lay person, a process of creation in which material is alchemically transformed into meaning. Still, our interest should be in artists who deliberatively reflect on this aspect of their work. One of the earliest known examples of sacred geometry can be found in the art and architecture of ancient Egypt, where geometric shapes and patterns were used to represent cosmic and spiritual principles. These shapes and patterns, which included the pyramid, the circle, and the spiral, were believed to be imbued with sacred properties and were used in the design of temples, tombs, and other sacred spaces. Aleister Crowley's drawing of Lam (not in the Book) may not be great art but it is genuinely occult. Leonora Carrington's 'Elohim' (in the book and in Tate Modern) is art and reaches out with authenticity to the occult, that which is hidden behind things and is more than the 'subconscious'.
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Perhaps, most of all, he represents something within us, that part of ourselves which is unknowable and uncontrollable. Another example of Satanic and occult-inspired art from this period is the sculpture “The Baphomet” by Eliphas Levi. This sculpture is a representation of the devil, and it is believed to be a symbol of occult power. The sculpture is often used as a symbol of the occult, and it is often associated with Satanism. Inside the Tate Archive, you will explore books, drawings, photographs, and other unusual objects that delve into the themes of witchcraft, alchemy, secret societies, folklore and pagan rituals, demonology, spells and magic, psychic energies, astrology, and tarot.
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