Infinite Fire Webinar IV - Wouter J. Hanegraaff on Platonic Orientalism Embassy of the Free Mind 2013-03-10 | Wouter J Hanegraaff is Professor at the Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam.In the fourth Infinite Fire Webinar series, Professor Wouter J Hanegraaff discusses the revival of Ancient Wisdom in the Renaissance with a focus on Plethon and Marsilio Ficino.Read his blog about the webinar on our website http://www.ritmanlibrary.com/?p=3511
God, Science and our Search for Meaning Embassy of the Free Mind 2024-05-03 | Discover our deepest mysteriesMuseon-Omniversum and the Embassy of the Free Mind recently co-hosted the European premiere of the new full dome film God, Science and our Search for Meaning on Thursday 2 May 2024. A film written and narrated by international bestselling author Dan Brown.Immerse yourself in science and religion to make sense of the world's oldest questions.About the filmCultures around the world have asked themselves big questions since the dawn of time, such as: how did the universe come to be, what is its meaning and what is our role in it? Religions, with symbols and rituals, and science have tried to answer them. But the more our scientific knowledge developed, the bigger the questions became. This unique planetarium show explores humanity's oldest questions, offers exciting new possibilities and reveals the surprising interplay between science and religion. With new developments like Artificial Intelligence, our search for meaning is more important than ever. The full dome film can only be seen at Museon-Omniversum from 2 May 2024 in its original, English-language version, no subtitles.
Perpetual Curiosity - Embassy of the Free Mind Embassy of the Free Mind 2024-04-25 | Podcast about the Embassy of the Free Mind with researcher Corey Andrews.youtube.com/channel/UC0YcdixX_ZMHZvRVO5wMt3A
Preview Lecture Alchemy, Art and Eroticism by Michel Didier (DUTCH) Embassy of the Free Mind 2024-04-04 | Michel Didier gives you a preview of his lecture 'Alchemy, Art and Eroticism', taking place at the Embassy of the Free Mind on the 11th of April at 19.30h. Tickets are still available here: tickets.embassyofthefreemind.com/category/326/lezingen
VIDEO 2023 IvH Embassy of the Free Mind 2024-02-23 | Iris van Herpen, modeontwerpster (bekend van o.a. de jurken van Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry en Björk, en Koningin Maxima) gebruikt onze boeken als inspiratie voor haar ontwerpen die nu te zien zijn in Musée des Arts Décoratifs tijdens haar tentoonstelling Sculpting the Senses.
Utopia Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-12-22 | Banned and Burned #11: Thomas More’s UtopiaThrough the centuries, there have been many books about ideal societies or utopias. Since they suggested different ways of organizing society, governments often banned them. But the book that gave us the name “utopia” also has a place in the history of banned books. It’s author, Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), was himself a book-banner. When he became Chancellor to King Henry VIII, More drew up a list of forbidden books, which went into effect in 1530. It included both Protestant books which he saw as a threat to the Catholic Church and a ban on English books printed outside England, likely because he viewed them as attempts to circumvent official censors. Already in 1526, Henry VIII had issued an index of banned books, but Thomas More was exempted from this law. He was allowed to read suspicious books so that he could refute them. In his book, More imagined the perfect island of Utopia as a place separated from the rest of the world and its destructive ideas. More wrote the book as if it were a travel guide to a real place, but Utopia had an imaginary language and alphabet, which could not be translated into Latin, thus insulating the inhabitants from foreign ideas. Although all Utopians were supposed to be highly educated, they would be unable to communicate with the badly behaved Europeans of More’s time. The work was very popular and was soon translated into many languages. However, if it were a modern work, it would likely be banned in some places. More’s book advocated the overthrow of the rich, compulsory nudity for engaged couples, slavery as a punishment for adultery and a ban on lawyers, amongst other things. Thomas More banned books, but his own book inspired many other books that were banned. By the way, Henry VIII eventually turned against Thomas More and executed him for religious reasons, just as he had others that More himself had accused.Thomas More, Utopia, 1518 (1st edition 1516), Basel: Froben.#bannedandburned #bannedbooks #censorship #utopias #ReformationCome visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam!embassyofthefreemind.com/nl
Newton Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-12-15 | Banned and Burned #10: Isaac Newton (1643-1727)Today we know Isaac Newton as a key figure in the Scientific Revolution. He made advances in mathematics, astronomy and physics. But in his own time, he was also known for his study of the Bible. Newton was especially interested in the prophetic books of the Bible such as Daniel and Revelations. He tried to find hidden messages in Scripture, especially to understand how scientific knowledge might be encoded there. Newton’s religious beliefs were certainly not in harmony with the mainstream Church of England. Many researchers believe that he was influenced by Socinians, who do not believe in a Trinity. Newton may also have been influenced by Jacob Böhme. Letters from one of his correspondents mention Newton’s interest in Böhme. There is even a possibility that he was influenced in his thought about gravity, since Böhme writes about the “force of attraction between all things.” However, we will likely never know. In a case of self-censorship, Newton burned most of his own letters and journals before he died. His views on theology and alchemy could have cost him his career. In the papers Newton left behind, about one million out of a total of ten million words concern alchemy. These papers are still being studied. In 2020 a set of papers containing his investigations about Egyptian pyramids were sold at auction. Newton thought that the pyramid was constructed according to the measure of the “cubit” and that if he could find out the size of a cubit, he could give precise measurements for the Temple of Solomon, which he believed would be reconstructed at the time of the “New Jerusalem.” He also wanted to use the cubit to calculate the size of the earth and prove his theory of gravity. These investigations show us just how linked science, religion and magical world views were in the Early Modern period.Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John, London, 1733Historische beschryving van de oudheden der Grieken, Egiptenaren, Assyriers, Babyloniers, Mederen en Persianen, Leiden, 1763Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam!embassyofthefreemind.com/nl
Spinoza Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-12-07 | Banned and Burned #9: Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677)Baruch or “Bento” de Spinoza was born in Amsterdam and grew up in the Portuguese Jewish community. He only lived to be 44, but in his short life he became a leading philosopher. Spinoza was influenced by rationalists like Descartes, but also by mystical religion and he had many contacts to Remonstrants, Mennonites, and Quakers. At the age of only 23 he was expelled from the Jewish community for his “abominable” ideas. After he left the Jewish community, he began using the Latinized version of his name, Benedictus.Spinoza disputed certain traditional Jewish interpretations of Scripture. For example, he wrote that God is identical with the universe, leading some people to accuse him of pantheism and others to call him an atheist. The rabbis probably also feared trouble with the city authorities, because he argued for more democracy and freedom of speech. Indeed, in 1678 just over a year after his death, the States of Holland banned all of his works. A year after this, the Catholic Church added his books to their Index of Forbidden Books. At the Embassy of the Free Mind you can view a rare 1666 painting of Spinoza by the painter Barent Graat. Our library also owns a copy of Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-Politicus. This book was so controversial that it was published anonymously with false publication information. The title page gives Hamburg as the place of publication, Künrath as the publisher and 1670 as the date, but it was actually published in 1672 by Jan Rieuwertsz at Amsterdam. #bannedbooks #bannedandburned #freespeech #freedomofspeech #Judaism #spinoza #embassyofthefreemind #theritmanlibrary Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (…). Amsterdam, 1672.
Theological Polemics Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-11-30 | Banned and Burned #8 Theological PolemicsJohann Friedrich Corvinus, Anabaptisticum et Enthusiasticum Pantheon und Geistliches Rüst-Haus Wider die Alten Quaker, und neuen Frei-Geister … (Koethen) 1702The force behind the banning and burning of many of the books preserved in our library was religious polemics against those with views that differed from one of the mainstream churches, whether the Catholic Church, the Lutheran, the Calvinist or in England the Church of England. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, polemical battles raged in print. One of the most prominent polemicists was Johann Friedrich Corvinus, the German Lutheran pastor who published this giant folio volume of 1702 called Anabaptisticum et Enthusiastcum Pantheon Und Geistliches Rüst-Haus Wider die Alten Quäcker Und Neuen Frey-Geister (“The Pantheon of Anabaptists and Enthusiasts and the Spiritual Armory against the old Quakers and the new Free Spirits”). The volume is actually made up of 14 different pamphlets that were published separately. Bound together, they amount to over 1,000 pages. The volume attacks above all Quakers and Anabaptists, but also mystics, Jews, and philosophers like Descartes and Spinoza. In addition to the 14 pamphlets, the work includes portraits of those whom Corvinus saw as enemies of the Lutheran Church.The book makes clear that there was a social dimension to these polemics. For example, one of the biggest criticisms of Quakers was that they did not respect social boundaries. They did not take off their hats in the presence of royalty, because they believed that all people were spiritually equal. The book describes this as a great “horror” (Greuel). Interestingly, the book preserves some documents from the reformers themselves that would otherwise be lost to the sands of time. Finally, the volume also includes legal edicts against reformers, which helps document the persecution against them, including the banning and burning of their books. Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam!embassyofthefreemind.com/nl
Roundtable Hermes Yesterday and Today | with Prof. dr. Wouter Hanegraaff and Dr. Justin Sledge Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-11-17 | ONLINE LECTUREThis event brings together two of the most prominent voices about hermetic traditions and discourses. Wouter J. Hanegraaff is Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam. He has many scholarly publications, including his most recent book, Hermetic Spirituality and the Historic Imagination. Justin Sledge is the creator of the YouTube channel, Esoterica, which has more than 300K followers. Following short impulse statements by the two speakers, a moderated discussion will take place. Both the in-person audience and people who view remotely will have the chance to pose questions. In this way, we hope to include the perspectives of scholars, practitioners and anyone interested in hermetic texts and the traditions and discourses that they have sparked.
Flora Fantastica - Dagdromenvangers Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-09-14 | In het project Flora Fantastica kijken we met kinderen naar oude prenten en kunstwerken met planten erop; stellen er open vragen bij, laten ze vrij interpreteren en zo een creatieve relatie aangaan met natuur en erfgoed. In een serie workshops wordt toegewerkt naar een tentoonstelling om podium en stem te geven aan de verbeelding van de kinderen. Wij doen dit op diverse locaties zoals musea, bibliotheken en andere culturele instellingen en kunnen ook workshops op maat bieden. In deze video ziet u een voorbeeld van een werk dat de kinderen gemaakt hebben in juni 2023 in museum Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam, onder begeleiding van Isabel Alonso Pola, Annet Breure en Annette Benedictus. De gehele Dagdromenvangers audio is te beluisteren op www.plantenverhalen.nl/florafantastica-embassy-efm waar u ook het digitale deel van de tentoonstelling kunt bekijken. Video door Panorama Parallelo - Vincent Emmanuel Glen Gielen.Project gerealiseerd met dank aan Stichting metStem, het Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie en Cultuurfonds Noord-Holland. Contact voor meer informatie projectleider Annet Breure - plantenverhalen@gmail.comHerfst 2023 voeren wij Flora Fantastica uit in het Cobra museum Amstelveen en in de centrale Bibliotheek in Alphen aan den Rijn, zie ook: www.plantenverhalen.nl/florafantastica
Hebrew Books Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-08-31 | Banned and Burned#7: Hebrew Books Hebrew books were banned at different times in history, but especially after the Protestant Reformation in the early 1500s when the Catholic Church became much more worried about competition from other belief systems. This led to increased persecution of Muslims and Jews. Traces of this can be found in our copy of Schmuel Gallico’s “Asis rimonim,” עסיס רמוני which is a summary of Cordovero's “Pardes Rimonim” (“Nectar of Pomegranates”, itself an abridgement of the Zohar. This manuscript contains several kabbalistic diagrams, including two kabbalistic trees (ilanot) which were used for meditation. One of these features volvelles, which the reader could turn. This emphasizes that God and nature are dynamic. Our manuscript was written in 1575, but only published later, in 1601 in Venice. Why the long wait? Starting already in the 1540s there were worries about Hebrew books influencing Christians and in 1553 there was an order to burn Talmud all over Italy. For about 10 years, there was no printing of Hebrew books in Venice, although Venice was one of the most important cities for printing. In the 1560s, the Catholic Church started the infamous Index of Prohibited Books that included many Hebrew books. In 1563, some printing of Hebrew books resumed, but the books had to be “corrected” by censors. Our manuscript has been signed by a censor, Giovanni Domenico Carreti, and dated 1601. This is the year that the book was finally printed, so we believe that this is the manuscript that the printed version was based on. Our manuscript contains no marked out passages. Some historians believe that Jews practiced internal censorship to avoid writing anything that would get censored. But it is also believed that some censors (who were often converts from Judaism) helped Jews in this regard, in order to preserve Jewish writings. We notice for example much more censorship in works meant for Christians than works intended for Jews. At any rate, all of this worry about Hebrew books help to explain why this manuscript waited over 25 years to finally get published.Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam!embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit
Mystical Spiritualists Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-08-31 | Banned and Burned#6: Mystical SpiritualistsThe largest collection area in our library is mysticism and especially 16th and 17th century spiritualists. The reason that this collection is so large, and indeed one reason why this library exists in Amsterdam is that many of the writings in this collecting area were banned elsewhere and could only be printed in the Netherlands, which had fairly liberal policies regarding freedom of religion and expression. Today I want to introduce you to one of the most important authors in our library, the mystical philosopher Jacob Böhme. He lived around 1600 in the German town of Görlitz, but his writings were forbidden. Supporters kept his writings alive by circulating handwritten copies of his texts underground. In this way they reached the Netherlands where they were printed in the 17th century and from there, they made their way to England and other countries. In this Dutch translation of Böhme’s Aurora from 1686 we see that Böhme was a simple shoemaker. Indeed, authorities opposed his writing mainly because of his status as a layman. In most places, it was illegal for anyone besides an ordained theologian to express public opinions on religion. Böhme is one of the most influential authors in our library, having influenced everything from the philosophy of Hegel to the art of Kandinsky to modern science fiction. An English translation of Böhme’s works contains pop-up illustrations that illustrate his most central spiritualist idea. It is also the idea that I think best sums up our entire library, namely the idea that all things are an outflowing of the Divine.Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam!embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit
Astronomy and Astrology Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-08-27 | Banned and Burned #5: Astronomy and AstrologyIn 1543 Nicolaus Copernicus published his work proving that the sun, not the earth, is at the center of our solar system. This shocked people, since the church had always taught that the earth is central in the universe. Other learned men such as Galileo Galilei, Giordano Bruno and Johannes Kepler built on the Copernican system. They relied on advances in optics and mathematics to make important new discoveries. Before the modern period, there was no sharp distinction between astronomy and astrology. Indeed, astronomical research was driven by the belief that the movements of the stars and planets have an influence upon our lives. Copernicus, Galileo, Bruno and Kepler all saw their work as a way to understand God’s Creation better and they all tried to integrate the older biblically based worldview with new knowledge gained through logic and scientific observation. Here we see Kepler’s Mysterium Cosmographicum or “the Cosmographic Mystery,” first published in 1596. This was the first printed defense of Copernicus’ system. In the book, we see the beginnings of Kepler’s work on his famous laws of planetary motion, but also his attempt at a geometric model of the universe that makes use of five “Platonic solids.” The books of Copernicus, Galileo, Bruno and Kepler were long banned by officials, but it is important to remember that these legal problems were not limited to books. Galileo spent much of his life in prison and in 1600 Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for heresy.Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam! embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit
Magical Books Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-08-20 | Banned and Burned #4: Magical BooksIn past centuries many books were never printed in the first place, because it was forbidden to publish about certain subjects. Such books circulated underground in manuscript form. Magical manuals are one kind of book that was nearly always forbidden. We have to differentiate between “natural magic” and ceremonial magic. Natural magic simply refers to the ability to manipulate the invisible laws of nature, for example in chemical processes, and this kind of early scientific practice was more accepted by authorities. It is ceremonial magic that worried church clerics and led to bans. Such texts arose during the Christian Renaissance but also drew on Arabic, Egyptian, Greek and Jewish kabbalistic sources. Many of these books of spells or “grimoires” claimed to pass on knowledge from the Biblical King Solomon. The books include instructions for elaborate preparations for the ceremonies as well as angelic alphabets, symbols and tables to be used in practice. The books vary greatly. While some treat magic like a body of knowledge to be learned and investigated, others treat it like a highly stylized form of Christian prayer. For example, to protect a child from harm, one might be instructed to repeat the Lord’s Prayer three times at dawn during the time of the full moon and draw a series of angelic symbols on the ground. Magical manuals are based on the idea that the heavens and earth correspond in secret ways not known to most, but which might be accessed through special procedures.Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam! embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit
Flora Fantastica Kinderworkshops voor kinderen van 6 tot 8 jaar Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-05-02 | Flora Fantastica Kinderworkshops voor kinderen van 6 tot 8 jaarMooie bloemen, bijzondere dieren, mysterieuze symbolen… Welke verhalen vertellen ze? Wat zie je allemaal?In deze creatieve workshops gaan kinderen aan de slag met bijzondere afbeeldingen uit de oude-boekencollectie van de Embassy of the Free Mind. Onder begeleiding van professioneel beeldend kunstenaar en docent Isabel Alonso Pola worden ze gestimuleerd goed te kijken, te interpreteren, verder te fantaseren en zelf beeldend werk te maken. Daarin geven ze vorm aan hun gedachten over de symbolen en elementen uit de natuur die ze op de afbeeldingen zien. Ze worden geprikkeld in het gebruik van hun verbeeldingskracht en krijgen volop de ruimte om hun ideeën en talenten te ontdekken.De kinderen maken kennis met verschillende beeldende technieken en leren onder begeleiding van verhalenverteller en -verzamelaar Annet Breure woorden te geven aan wat ze maken en denken.In vier workshops werken we zo toe naar een tentoonstelling waarin de kinderen zowel hun beeldende werk als hun verhalen (in de vorm van een audiotour) presenteren, naast de afbeeldingen die als inspiratiebron hebben gediend.De workshops vormen een geheel; daarom is het gewenst dat kinderen alle vier de workshops volgen. De workshops zijn geschikt voor kinderen van 6,7 en 8 jaar.Over de workshopleidersIsabel Alonso Pola is beeldend kunstenaar en museumdocent bij onder andere het Rijksmuseum en De HermitageAnnet Breure is verhalenverteller en -verzamelaar bij plantenverhalen.nl en werkte eerder o.a. in opdracht van ’t Valkhof Nijmegen, Centraal Museum Utrecht en de OBA.Data: wo 7, 14, 21 en 28 juniTijd: 14.30-15.30 uur (groep 1); 16.00-17.00 uur (groep 2)Aantal deelnemers: max. 12 kinderen per groepKosten: € 10,- per kind voor de hele serie (vier workshops)
Platonic-Hermetic Books Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-04-27 | Banned and Burned #3: Platonic-Hermetic BooksThe book that I am highlighting today is not a banned book, but one that called for the banning of certain books and the punishment of their authors. Daniel Ehregott Colberg was a Lutheran theologian who saw in the new religious movements of his time a threat to society. In his Platonic-Hermetic Christinaity of 1709, Colberg traces the lineage of these “radical” groups back to the thought of Plato and the legendary figure of “Hermes.” Among the groups threatening society, Colberg lists the followers of Paracelsus, Valentin Weigel, Jacob Böhme, Jean de Labadie and Antoinette Bourignon, as well as Rosicrucians, Quakers, Anabaptists and Quietists. Colberg paints them all with the same brush, although they had very different theologies, but he is right about one thing: All of these groups made inner spirituality more important than outer dogma, and that is precisely what worries Colberg. The title page makes a further visual argument, namely that a sinister force is behind all of these nonconforming religious movements – women! Each sect is represented as a masked woman. Although it is an exaggeration to say that a conspiracy of women was behind these movements, there is a grain of truth here. Women were able to take on greater roles in writing, speaking and leading in nonconformist circles. Colberg argues that allowing women to enter the public sphere in this way will change society. Indeed, he was right. These groups paved the way for greater rights for women and laity. This expansion of rights for all people is the primary reason why our library was recently added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind! embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit
Presentatie onderzoek naar de ziel van amsterdam met glocalities | 29 maart 2023 Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-04-26 | On March 29 we held the presentation of the research The Soul of Amsterdam, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Free Mind. On this page you can view the summary and video montage of the presentation. The slides of the presentation are available for download via the form below.De gasten werden welkom geheten door Jasha van der Wel, Programmamaker bij de Embassy of the Free Mind. Vervolgens werden de uitkomsten van het onderzoek gepresenteerd door Martijn Lampert, onderzoeksdirecteur en medeoprichter van Glocalities. Tot slot volgde een paneldiscussie over implicaties van het onderzoek met Eva de Klerk (Culturele Projectontwikkelaar & adviseur subsidieregeling Aanpak Binnenstad), Farid Tabarki (Oprichter Studio Zeitgeist, reiziger, trendwatcher & auteur), Isis van der Wel (DJ ISIS, bestuurslid Amsterdamse Kunstraad & voormalig nachtburgemeester Amsterdam) en Han Bakker (Adviseur Embassy of the Free Mind & Internationaal cultuuradviseur), waarna er gelegenheid was tot discussie met de aanwezigen in de zaal.
The Bible Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-04-22 | Burned and Banned #2: The Bible It may seem surprising, but in Early Modern Europe, many Bibles were censored or forbidden. This is because different groups of Christians began to argue about correct translations and interpretations. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church used the Latin Vulgate Bible edited by the Church Father Jerome in the 4th century. But towards the end of the 15th century, a movement known as Christian humanism arose. Scholars like Erasmus and Thomas More wanted to reform the Church by integrating the learning of ancient civilizations and by studying the primitive Church. For these thinkers, this also meant looking at the Vulgate Bible and checking the translations. Soon, humanists noticed many problems with translation. The leading French humanist, Jacques Levefre d’Etaples (1453-1536), who had studied Greek at the University of Paris, completed a new translation of the letters of Paul. His goal was to go back to the “original text” before Jerome’s translation. The first edition was published in folio 1512 at Paris by Henricus Stephanus. Our volume has been bound with blindstamped calfskin over wooden boards by Carthusian monks in a monastery at Weddern, today in the Western part of Germany. There is a woodcut title page with the images of Peter and Paul and throughout the book, there are beautiful decorative initials and rubricated capitals. The impressive binding indicates that the monks valued the book, yet they censored parts of it. The letters themselves are in order, but in the commentary to the letters, we find many passages which have been pasted over with bits of paper. The monks obviously did not agree with a humanist interpretation of the Bible!Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam!embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit
The Koran Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-04-14 | Banned and Burned #1: The Koran Long before printing with movable type became common in the Islamic world in the 19th century, Korans were printed in Arabic type in several European cities. The first Arabic Koran was printed in Venice in 1537/38 but since almost no one knew Arabic, there was little engagement with these books. The oldest Koran translation into a European language, Latin, – and the one that made the most impact – dates from 1143. Latin was the language of learning in Europe and the translation was prepared at a monastery in Toledo. The work was so controversial that it took four centuries after the translation for it to be published by the theologian Theodor Bibliander and the Basle publisher Johannes Oporinus. There was huge controversy surrounding this project. Martin Luther himself intervened to get it published. In the preface, Luther wrote that one can’t argue against a book unless one can read it! The huge demand for this book led to a further edition seven years later and this version became the basis for many translations into other European languages. Although this book was placed on the Catholic Church’s list of banned books, it seems that European scholars were hungry for reliable knowledge about the Koran.Come visit the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam!embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit
Crowdfunding new documentary Embassy of the Free Mind Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-04-07 | A love letter to rare books...... from the makers of the Award-winning Feature Documentary The Ritman Library - Amsterdam,a new story of the new home of the collection: Embassy of the Free Mind is going to be told within a new film. Help us to make this story real and become part of the history. From “As above. So below.” creative storytelling within the House of the Heads will guide your free mind to approach new horizons in a beautiful colored world of finest rare books, manuscripts and first editions.Join to learn more about the hidden and untold secrets of Western Esotericism, written by visionary Free Thinkers hundreds of years ago. Support us here: whydonate.com/en/fundraising/efmdocMore info: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/embassy/support-us/crowdfunding
Crowdfunding new documentary Embassy of the Free Mind Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-03-18 | A love letter to rare books...... from the makers of the Award-winning Feature Documentary The Ritman Library - Amsterdam,a new story of the new home of the collection: Embassy of the Free Mind is going to be told within a new film. Help us to make this story real and become part of the history. From “As above. So below.” creative storytelling within the House of the Heads will guide your free mind to approach new horizons in a beautiful colored world of finest rare books, manuscripts and first editions.Join to learn more about the hidden and untold secrets of Western Esotericism, written by visionary Free Thinkers hundreds of years ago. Support us here: whydonate.com/en/fundraising/efmdocMore info: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/embassy/support-us/crowdfunding
Radio Salto Amsterdam met Daan Spanhaak en Jasha van der Wel Embassy of the Free Mind 2023-01-04 | ...
Lecture The Book Culture of the First Generations of Portuguese Jewish Refugees in Emile Schrijver Embassy of the Free Mind 2022-12-15 | Lecture The Book Culture of the First Generations of Portuguese Jewish Refugees in Amsterdam | by Emile Schrijver | 10/11/2022The 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.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.More information: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/research
Lecture Hermetic Spirituality and Altered states of Knowledge by Prof. dr. Wouter Hanegraaff Embassy of the Free Mind 2022-12-15 | 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.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.More information: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/research
Toni Geitani & Ainhoa Pérez Etxepare Live at the Embassy of the Free Mind Embassy of the Free Mind 2022-11-17 | Toni GeitaniWebsite: tonigeitani.comInstagram: instagram.com/tonigeitani/SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/tonigeitaniApple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/toni-geitani/1402989081Ainhoa Pérez EtxepareInstagram: instagram.com/ainhoapetxeFacebook: facebook.com/aperezetxepare
Embassy of the Free Mind - All is One Embassy of the Free Mind 2022-08-12 | The mission of the Embassy of the Free Mind is to make universal wisdom accessible and applicable for everyone. Everything is connected - All is One.Learn more about the mission and vision of the Embassy of the Free Mind and our future plans. More info: embassyofthefreemind.com/en
Caminos La Embajada de la Mente Libre Embassy of the Free Mind 2022-01-12 | Conversación con Lisa Hompes, vocera de la Embajada de la Mente Libre, Ámsterdam.Para contactarse:embassyofthefreemind.com/eninfo@efm.amsterdam Preguntas.01:19 Introducción07:01 ¿Qué es la Embajada de la Mente Libre? ¿Puedes contarnos algo sobre su historia? ¿Cuándo y por qué surge? ¿Cuál es la razón de la existencia de la Embajada de la Mente Libre?11:00 ¿Qué ideas o filosofías sustenta a la Embajada de la Mente Libre? ¿Por qué difundir el pensamiento hermético y esotérico en tiempos que la razón y la ciencia parecen desacreditar este conocimiento?16:45 Puedes decirnos a grandes rasgos en qué consiste la Embajada de la Mente Libre. Cuáles son los espacios, libros u objetos más interesantes que quieras compartir con nosotros y contarnos qué significan para ti?22:51 ¿Qué actividades han realizado y cuáles tienen planificadas para el futuro que les permitan lograr la misión que se han propuesto?28:47 Para cerrar, compartenos por favor una invitación a visitar la Embajada de la Mente Libre y un mensaje que te gustaría dar a quienes te escuchan.31:07 Agradecimientos y contactos.
lecture Alchemical Shadows in Artificial Intelligence, by Patricia Pisters Embassy of the Free Mind 2021-07-07 | Introduction of the lecture Alchemical Shadows in Artificial Intelligence, by Patricia Pisters on 8 July 2021 at the Embassy of the Free Mind. In his famous poem Eidolons (1876) Walt Whitman extends the Greek concept for image/shadow/spirit to include the soul of the Earth (‘the mighty Earth eidolon’) and even the stars and planets. In this lecture Patricia Pisters will depart from Whitman’s cosmic interpretation of perception and reframe it within contemporary debates on ‘new materialism’ where human fate is entangled with nonhuman (earth/cosmic) forces.Pisters will focus on the question what our perception and interpretation of our high-tech world can learn from ancient sources from the alchemical tradition, a tradition that is full of ‘spirits of the earth’. As such, alchemy itself can be considered as the low-tech (fore)shadow of our high-tech future that still holds infinite wisdoms that are worthwhile reconsidering.Book your ticket here: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/agenda#PP10juni
Introduction to Alchemy | Announcement Online Lecture by Curator Cis van Heertum Embassy of the Free Mind 2021-03-09 | 18 March: Online Zoom Lecture incl. Recording | By Curator Cis van Heertum."The Art of Transformation. A brief Introduction to Alchemy".Book your ticket here: tickets.embassyofthefreemind.com/en/events/ticketsThis online lecture by our very own curator Cis van Heertum offers you an enticing look at one of our main collecting areas that continues to appeal to the imagination: alchemy. Indeed, the name of our library collection, Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, was intended as homage to the ‘patron saint’ of alchemy, Hermes Trismegistus, the thrice-greatest Hermes, who was ‘born’ in Alexandria in Egypt, that melting pot of cultures, in the early centuries of our Common Era.Alchemy came to Western Europe thanks to translations from the Arabic in the twelfth century, spawning a rich body of alchemical works, often beautifully illustrated with highly symbolic imagery. In this lecture you will see images of some of the most famous alchemical books, both from the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica Collection and other major alchemy collections. De alchemia by ‘Geber Arabis’, ‘ the Bible of the medieval alchemists’, is one of those books, but you will also meet other renowned alchemical authors. Think of Heinrich Khunrath for instance, whose ‘oratory-laboratory’ shows us that alchemy is so much more than just a practical art, or the enigmatic Basilius Valentinus.So join us on 18 March for a look at the art of transformation!More information about this lecture here: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/hours-admission/events#AlchETickets € 15 / $ 18 incl. free recording afterwards.
Boeklancering Spinozaland | English Interview with Maxime Rovere on Amsterdam in the 17th century Embassy of the Free Mind 2021-02-24 | 'Spinozaland' is the Dutch translation by Hendrickje Spoor of French author Maxime Rovere’s much acclaimed ‘Le Clan Spinoza’. Published by Uitgeverij Balans, ‘Spinozaland’ was launched at the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam on 11 February 2021. The video is the recording of this event, which was live streamed via Zoom with an interview with the author in English.Programme:- Embassy of the Free Mind welcome by curator Cis van Heertum (in Dutch)- Presentation of the first copy to Esther Ritman, director of the Embassy of the Free Mind- Interview with the author by Karianne Marx of the Amsterdamse Spinoza Kring (Amsterdam Spinoza Circle).Order the book (in Dutch, price € 34.99) here: https://embassyofthefreemind.shop/collections/books/products/spinozaland-de-ontdekking-van-de-vrijheidABOUT THE BOOK'Spinozaland' is a book that resists simple characterization. It is fiction, but fiction based on a vast and impressive amount of historical source material and research. Moreover, it is also a philosophical book, in which the history of ideas comes to life with many surprising insights.The original title, 'Le Clan Spinoza', is a clue. Although Spinoza is a central figure, the many colourful characters around him are at least as important. As Wiep van Bunge says in the preface:"In Rovere's view, Spinoza was indeed the instigator and ultimately the most important spokesman for a whole generation of Amsterdam freethinkers active in the third quarter of the seventeenth century. However, Spinoza was not a giant surrounded by dwarfs. What he wrote was the result of constant interaction between the philosopher and his circle, that is, with his friends - from Juan de Prado and Franciscus van den Enden to Lodewijk Meyer and Adriaan Koerbagh.”In this Dutch edition, a large number of nuances and corrections have been made by translator Hendrickje Spoor and Spinoza expert Frank Mertens in consultation with the author, making this edition the most accurate version.In fact, we can regard 'Le Clan Spinoza' as a 'work in progress'. With such an amount of source material, it is inevitable that more corrections and additions will come to light. Moreover, the research is ongoing, so the book is never finished! Readers are therefore invited to share their critical views and possible additions on this website: www.leclanspinoza.comMAXIME ROVERE is a philosopher and Spinoza specialist. Among his publications are a French translation of Spinoza's correspondence and the philosophical study: Exister. Méthodes de Spinoza. He taught philosophy at the University of Rio de Janeiro until 2019, held a fellowship at NIAS in Amsterdam (September 2020-February 2021) and is a scientific researcher at IHRIM in Lyon. Le Clan Spinoza / Spinozaland, which has sold more than 20,000 copies in France, is his first book for a wide audience.
Visions of the Free Mind by Artist Ann Korijn Embassy of the Free Mind 2021-02-02 | Are you feeling uninspired and unstimulated in this Covid time, and a little dull in the head like all of us? In this video, artist Ann Korijn shows you more about the mesmerising images you can find at the Embassy of the Free Mind and how they can stimulate you and raise your curiosity just like it did for her.Ann explains what inspired her at the Embassy of the Free Mind and how that moved her to create her artwork "Visions of the Free Mind" presented in this video. Ann Korijn is one of the ambassadors of the Embassy of the Free Mind, and forever curious. She is fascinated with the role of the human in nature and in the cosmos; our possibility to explore ideas and boundaries. Ann was honoured to be able to create this piece working with the vast and valuable Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica collection at the Embassy of Free Mind. To learn more about Ann, see her website: wabiisabii.comArtwork details:Visions of the Free MindAnn Korijn - v.d.Borghcollage, 170x130, 2020, site specificLearn how you, too, can contribute to the development of the Embassy of the Free Mind in your own way: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/ambassade/support-us
WISDOM CREATES FREEDOM in the Embassy of the Free Mind Embassy of the Free Mind 2021-01-29 | Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?These are universal questions that we humans have been asking ourselves since the beginning of time. There is not just one single right answer to these questions. The answer is to be found in wisdom. Wisdom can be looked for on the outside and it can also be found within. The Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam, a platform for free thought, has a museum library with more than 25,000 books and manuscripts by authors who explored the above questions. What they wrote down is the testimony of their journey of discovery.Why is it that Amsterdam is associated worldwide with freedom to this day? Freedom is in the DNA of our city, and it is freedom which everyone really longs for. Human beings are the only creatures who seek truth and freedom, the 'why if everything. Freedom, however, cannot exist without wisdom. Wisdom transcends constraints such as truth on authority, superstition, prejudice and fundamentalism. Wisdom connects everything and everybody and creates freedom. Amsterdam has been known since the 17th century for its freedom of religion, individual freedom and freedom of the press. Books were what the Internet is now. Books spread knowledge and connected people. At the Embassy of the Free Mind, we strongly believe that wisdom creates freedom. We have thousands of years of wisdom to share based on our extensive collection, but we are also interested in the wisdom you would like to communicate. Please share via our social media or via email and tell us how you find Wisdom in your daily life, which sources prove inspiring to you or which book you are currently reading, or tell us what you would love to learn more about through our online programme, so that we can inspire each other.And help us to spread wisdom! If everyone who watches this also shares this video with one person, image what a chain reaction of wisdom creating freedom this could start in the world! When you share this video, don't forget to use the hashtag #WisdomCreatesFreedom and please also post a photo of the sources or collecting areas in our library that bring you inspiration! We invite you to be a free thinker and use your inner wisdom. Visit us in person when possible again or online today. embassyofthefreemind.com WISDOM CREATES FREEDOM
The Artist Mindset | Online Lecture by Merlijn Twaalfhoven Embassy of the Free Mind 2021-01-21 | 4 FEBRUARY | Online Zoom Lecture incl. Recording | By Merlijn Twaalfhoven"The Artist Mindset. Why we need imagination, beauty and play in our current world"The current challenges of our society are overwhelming. We look to scientists, politicians, economists or technological entrepreneurs for solutions, but they don’t seem capable to deliver the large changes that are needed to protect the living planet. Is there a unifying narrative that can give us direction? Where can we find guidance through times of uncertainty?Merlijn Twaalfhoven, author of the book “It’s up to us” (Het is aan ons) developed the notion of the artist mindset as a practical way to navigate our time. He shows how artists, thinkers and philosophers through the ages could help us to slow down, sharpen our perception, create space for play and experiment and help us see the essence that is beneath the appearance of things. The old stories, images and books from the Embassy of the Free Mind help us to see how creativity, curiosity, free thinking and posing beautiful questions might be the essence of being human. When we activate our artist mindset, each one of us can find a way out of the hustle and confusion of our daily lives and create space for practical idealism.More information about this lecture here: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/hours-admission/eventsTickets € 15 / $ 18 incl. recording afterwards.
Jacob Böhme in Amsterdam | Curators Guided Tour Embassy of the Free Mind 2020-12-21 | [English subtitles in CC]Guided Tour by José Bouman, curator of our 'EYE FOR THE WORLD. The Visionary Thinker Jacob Böhme' exhibition which was on show at the Embassy of the Free Mind from 14 December 2019 to 1 August 2020. In this video José talks about the special position Amsterdam occupies in the publishing history of the work of Jacob Böhme (1575-1624), mystical philosopher and one of the greatest German thinkers. José guides you past the books and manuscripts on show, from the Embassy of the Free Mind’s Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica Collection as well as loans from other institutions. Why is it that we might just as easily not have known any of Jacob Böhme's works today? What is the story behind the looting of his works? Why were the first editions of Böhme's work printed and published in the Dutch Republic rather than in Germany? Watch the video to find out! Jacob Böhme made an impact internationally on literature, philosophy, religion and art that endures into the present. Böhme was a self-taught man who absorbed knowledge from books as well as from the lively intellectual environment in Görlitz in present-day Saxony, where he lived most of his life. Watch the exhibition video with curator Lucinda Martin on the seven most important themes in Jacob Böhme's work here: youtu.be/xBm-myxM10k View all our own Jacob Böhme related books and items in our webshop here: https://embassyofthefreemind.shop/search?q=jacob%20b%C3%B6hmeVisit the Jacob Böhme exhibition via our virtual tour here: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/ambassade/virtual-tour-house-with-the-heads [best enjoyed on desktop]Don't forget to subscribe to our channel to get notified about new video's!
7 Most Important Themes in Jacob Böhmes Philosophy | Curators Guided Tour Embassy of the Free Mind 2020-12-21 | Guided Tour by Dr. Lucinda Martin, one of the curators of our 'EYE FOR THE WORLD. The Visionary Thinker Jacob Böhme' exhibition which was on show at the Embassy of the Free Mind from 14 December 2019 to 1 August 2020. In this video Lucinda talks about the concepts and ideas of Jacob Böhme (1575-1624), mystical philosopher and one of the greatest German thinkers. Böhme had quite a few novel ideas for his time, on such topics as Nature, Opposition, Fall, Creation, Rebirth and Freedom, but also on the feminine and on the concept of 'Sophia' - Lady Wisdom. Lucinda will discuss these topics based on the exhibited books and manuscripts from the Embassy of the Free Mind’s Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica Collection as well from other collections. Jacob Böhme made an impact internationally on literature, philosophy, religion and art that endures into the present. Böhme was a self-taught man who absorbed knowledge from books and from the lively intellectual environment in Görlitz in present-day Saxony, where he lived most of his life. Watch the exhibition video with curator José Bouman on Jacob Böhme's connection with Amsterdam here: youtu.be/xBm-myxM10k View all our own Jacob Böhme related books and items in our webshop here: https://embassyofthefreemind.shop/search?q=jacob%20b%C3%B6hmeVisit the Jacob Böhme exhibition via our virtual tour here: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/ambassade/virtual-tour-house-with-the-heads [best enjoyed on desktop]Don't forget to subscribe to our channel to get notified about new video's!
Extra Date! Online Lecture Announcement | Divine Darkness by Colette Kavanagh Embassy of the Free Mind 2020-12-09 | DIVINE DARKNESS Online Lecture by Dr. Colette Kavanagh [Incl. Recording]17 December 2020 | 19:30 CET [Due to popular demand] EXTRA DATE: 27 December 2020For tickets, book here: tickets.embassyofthefreemind.com/en/events/ticketsFor description, see below.Today we are living in a time of spirit. Everything must be fast and light: fast-connecting devices, fast food, fast service, fast dating, fast epidemic, fast quarantine, fast “lockdown” and even fast vaccines. Spirit is masculine energy and it is wonderful. It helps us to breathe new life into things, to innovate, create, and inspire us to new heights and accomplishments. But when it is disembodied from feminine energy, from matter, reaching ever upward, we may fall like Icarus risking “burn out”.Surrounded by darkness, we are invited to slow down, deeply reflect, sleep, and make communion with intuitively felt wisdom and intelligence grounded in our bodies and the world. The darkness penetrates our soul and reminds us of the sacredness of all things - it helps us to see with different eyes.This is why Colette named her talk “Divine Darkness”. For centuries, we have been demonising both “darkness” and “blackness” as metaphors for evil, decadence and an inferior way of being in the world. It’s in our language, our religions and our psychic reality. This has negative consequences, racism being one of them, and it has resulted in disrespecting feminine qualities also. Dr. Colette Kavanagh comes from Ireland where the Stone Age temple "Newgrange", originally called Brú na Bóinne (ancient name Síd in Bhru), stands for over five thousand two hundred years. It covers roughly one acre of land, is six hundred years older than the Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, and one thousand years older than Stonehenge in England.The word “Sid” means “otherworldly,” while Brú in the Old Irish language means “womb.” It is, therefore, not surprising that the temple’s form appears to represent the female body which in the Neolithic period and the times of Old Europe was a common metaphor for fertility and nature.Each year at the Winter Solstice, the Sun enters the narrow passageway of the temple illuminating the rear, circular chamber and shining directly on a triple spiral carved on the rear wall. The alchemical dictum, ‘As above, so below’ suggests that this annual cosmic event celebrated the sacred marriage or Hieros Gamos in the human psyche as a ritual, symbolic penetration of the male (sun or spirit) and the female (earth or matter).We need this wisdom now more than ever to continually rebalance the energetic “light” of spirit and the reflective “dark” of the soul. Spirit without a body is a ghost. Body without spirit is a corpse. The marriage of these opposites is necessary to create the cosmos as well as a well-balanced life. ONLINE LECTURE: The lecture will be live streamed through Zoom from Amsterdam so everyone who is interested can watch the talk at home. You will be able to ask questions via Zoom to Colette Kavanagh. You will receive a Zoom link via email in the week of the lecture. INCL. RECORDINGAfter the lecture, you will receive a private link to the recording of the lecture that will be available until 31 January 2021. So even if you can't join on the evening of the lecture itself you will still be able to watch the event! ABOUT THE LECTURERDr. Colette Kavanagh is a Cultural Psychologist, an international lecturer, and a published writer who grew up in Ireland. She acquired her Ph.D. at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Her subject: Myth and Symbol in Art, Literature and Religion, with special emphasis in Depth Psychology (psychology of the unconscious), led her to explore the connection between ancient myths, symbols and modern culture. Her understanding of liminality, transition and change: how cultures evolve and develop, was the focus of her Ph.D. dissertation and her on-going research.Despite her passionate interest in modern culture, she also loves to explore the stories, myths, poetry and rituals that have sustained her Irish ancestors for generations, thereby grasping the deep-seeded truths and beliefs that have been passed on from generation to generation and built the culture in which they lived.Buy your ticket here: tickets.embassyofthefreemind.com/en/events/tickets
The Woman, and the Art of Renewing Humanity | Online Lecture Announcement | 29 October 2020 Embassy of the Free Mind 2020-10-27 | FULL ONLINE LECTURE INCL. RECORDINGEdit: contrary to what is being said in the video, the lecture will not have a physical component in the Embassy of the Free Mind but will be given solely online. For tickets, click here: tickets.embassyofthefreemind.com/eventsIn the seventeenth century, plagues, wars and natural disasters led people to believe that the Apocalypse predicted in the Book of Revelations was beginning. Authors of the time called for the public to prepare for the Last Judgement, when people would be sent to either heaven or hell and when the earth would be returned to a state of innocence and humans would receive “new bodies.” Religious thinkers speculated about this process. What steps were necessary and how would “reborn” human beings look? This lecture by Lucinda Martin discusses a number of 17th-century illustrations that present the process of renewal for both individual believers and the world. A special focus will be on the ideas of the author and activist Johanna Eleonora Petersen. These include the doctrine of a female person in the godhead alongside the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; the idea that rebirth is an alchemical-spiritual process; and the goal of a union of righteous Jews and Christians as “God’s chosen people.”The presentation will reveal how Petersen and other contemporary authors intended artworks not just as illustrations, but as step-by-step aids to help people actually achieve rebirth and usher in a new time of healing and peace on earth.Date: Thursday 29 OctoberTickets: € 12.50Language: EnglishTime:7.30 - 8.45 pm AMSTERDAM2.30 - 3.45 pm NEW YORK11.30 am - 12.45 pm LOS ANGELESFULLY ONLINE INCL. REPLAY! The lecture will be live streamed through Zoom, where you will be able to ask questions. If you buy a ticket you will receive a Zoom link via email in the week of the lecture. Once the lecture is over you will receive a private link to the recording of the lecture that will be available until 31 December 2020. So even if you can't join on the evening of the lecture itself you will still be able to watch the event!Get your ticket here: tickets.embassyofthefreemind.com/eventsAbout the lecturerLucinda Martin is an American scholar, currently working at the Gotha Research Centre of the University of Erfurt in Germany. She leads a German Research Council project on religious minorities in the 16th-18th centuries who were inspired by the mystical philosopher Jacob Böhme. The project deals especially with radical religion as a forerunner of modern human rights. Martin has published extensively on religious correspondence networks, on female spirituality, and on art and religion. She is the co-curator of a series of international exhibitions about Jacob Böhme, including a recent exhibition at the Embassy of the Free Mind.
Introduction Online Course: Jung & the Great Work of Alchemy | Embassy of the Free Mind Embassy of the Free Mind 2020-06-06 | ONLINE COURSE: Base Metal into Gold: Jung & the Great Work of Alchemy, by Faranak Mirjalili. 14 - 21 - 28 June 2020. Join the first ever online course from the Embassy of the Free Mind! In three 1.5 hour sessions via Zoom, Faranak Mirjalili will explore the tradition of alchemy from a depth-psychology perspective, based on the work of Anne Baring who has written and reflected extensively on this subject. The mysteries of alchemy have drawn many in the past to explore the secrets hidden within its ancient images and texts. Even 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 our modern time. He detected in the alchemical tradition the phases of transformation which the deep psyche goes through as it moves through the process of awakening which 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 provided the foundation for his own work of making the mysteries of the psyche accessible to his contemporaries and to us.In this online course we will examine the alchemical stages of Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo in both microcosm and 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?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.For more information on the course and to buy a ticket, see here:embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/hours-admission/events/courses #embassyofthefreemind Song: "Naoya Sakamata - Sad Piano" - under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0).
The Feminine in God: Divine Wisdom and Sophia - Lecture Announcement Embassy of the Free Mind 2020-01-29 | On 6 February 2020 Lucinda Martin will give a lecture entitled 'The Feminine in God: Divine Wisdom and the Writings of Jacob Böhme'. She argues that the idea of a female element within the Godhead has ancient roots. In the Hebrew Old Testament, the feminine name "Chokma" refers to the Creative aspect of God. Both the Old and New Testaments contain passages in which female "Wisdom" speaks in a strong voice and is responsible for all related to knowledge. "Sophia" -- Greek for Wisdom -- was important among early Christians. While Sophia has always been important in the Eastern Church, she was often suppressed in the West, because of fears that a female element in the Godhead might threaten the Trinity.In her lecture at the Embassy of the Free Mind on the Feminine in God, Lucinda Martin will briefly survey the history of this subject, focussing especially on Sophia in the writings of Jacob Böhme, who is often regarded as the "Father of Western Sophiology". Martin will discuss why Sophia was of interest to Böhme and his contemporaries in the 16th and 17th centuries and will address the question why Sophia becomes important at particular times in history. Following the lecture, there will be an opportunity to visit the Böhme exhibition on view until 14 March 2020 and further discuss questions raised in the lecture.For more information and to book your ticket, see: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/hours-admission/events#TFiG
Lecture by artist Joseph Sassoon Semah Embassy of the Free Mind 2019-10-31 | 31 October, Lecture, ‘The meaning of Tetragrammaton and Pentagrammaton and The Black Square’ by Joseph Sassoon SemahArtist Joseph Sassoon Semah was born in Baghdad as one of the last of a Babylonian Jewish family lineage, the grandson of Chief Rabbi Hacham Sassoon Kadoori. He has developed an extensive artistic oeuvre based on his survey into the relationship between Jewish identity and modernist art that consists of drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations, performances and texts. He shares his lost rich Jewish Babylonian cultural heritage through art, performances and debates. He asks the public to review their own art, culture, traditions and identity.In this lecture at the Embassy of the Free Mind Joseph Sassoon Semah will discuss the images of the Tetragrammaton and Pentagrammaton in art and culture. He will reflect on the work of Barnett Newman, Marcel Duchamp, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Johannes Reuchlin and Vincent van Gogh and their sources of inspiration and the collection of the Embassy of the Free Mind. Additionally, he will talk about the meaning of The Black Square, the reference to the destruction of the Second Solomonic Temple by Herod (29 or 30 July 70 C.E.), and the perfection of its dimensions.Image: Joseph Sassoon Semah, ‘The Name השם (HaSheM)’, 1983More information and tickets: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/hours-admission/events#LJSSE
Museumnacht 2019 - Embassy of the Free Mind Invitation Embassy of the Free Mind 2019-10-23 | We're once again partners in the Museumnacht | Museum Night Amsterdam! During this annual night of events, many Amsterdam museums are open from 19.00h - 02.00h, offering various special activities. The Embassy of the Free Mind focuses on the wisdom of original thinkers and free minds. A major theme in all our books is the interconnectedness of man, nature and the universe. According to the two thousand-year-old Hermetic wisdom, the source of inspiration for our books, every person is a miraculous and unique combination of senses, intelligence and mind. No two people are alike.For Museum Night 2019 we have developed some special activities for you to nourish your senses with. We also invite you to take your mind on a journey of exploration.DISCOVERING - SEARCHChoose one question that you want to take with you on your exploration of the museum and some images about which you would like to learn more. You will get a form on which you can write about your experiences, and if you hand it in at the front desk, you will get an Embassy of the Free Mind goodie bag.SEEING - EXPOSITIONMany people have heard about kabbalah and alchemy, but find it hard to grasp these concepts. Until 16 November you can visit the special exhibition ‘Kabbalah & Alchemy’ in our museum. Do you want to learn what kabbalah really is about, then here’s your chance to find out more! You may ask all your questions during one of the guided tours.HEARING - PRESENTATIONS AND CONCERTLearn more about alchemical symbols and kabbalah by listening to the presentations of students from the BA or MA programme in History of Hermetic Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam, who also are volunteers in our museum. Enjoy a moment of rest while listening to singer/songwriter Joëlle's dreamy songs in the Study Room, and get inspired by the many mysterious images and symbolical illustrations all around you. TASTING - BARDuring Museum Night you will step into an alchemical laboratory where various interesting drinks are being mixed. An elixir, in alchemy also known as ‘elixir of life’, is a drink which is supposed to have certain medicinal and even life-prolonging qualities.For more information, see: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/176-museumnight #embassyofthefreemind
Lezing Comenius en Rembrandt door curator Henk Roos Embassy of the Free Mind 2019-10-17 | 17 oktober - Comenius en Rembrandt. Lezing door curator Henk RoosHet is dit jaar 350 jaar geleden dat Rembrandt van Rijn overleed. Het was ook de tijd dat de Moravische #theoloog, pedagoog en #filosoof Jan Amos Comenius in Amsterdam woonde. Hij verbleef zelfs enige tijd in het Huis met de Hoofden, de locatie van de @embassyofthefreemind . Rembrandt en Comenius woonden bij elkaar in de buurt en hebben elkaar gekend. In deze lezing wordt kort ingegaan op de turbulente levensgeschiedenis van Comenius, met speciale aandacht voor zijn Amsterdamse periode. In die periode zal hij zeker kennis gemaakt hebben met Rembrandt van Rijn. In Rembrandts ‘Portret van een oude man’ (#Uffizi, #Florence, 1665) hebben kunsthistorici Jan Amos Comenius herkend. En er lijken nog meer relaties te zijn tussen de oude schilder en de oude geleerde. Beide mannen kunnen worden gezien als ‘vrije geesten’. Het Comenius Museum in Naarden is sinds kort in het bezit van een zeer goede kopie van het portret dat #Rembrandt van #Comenius maakte. In de lezing hoort u meer over het wonderlijke verhaal achter dit portret.Henk Roos (1948) studeerde aan de Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in Den Haag en was vele jaren #tekenleraar aan het Comenius College in #Hilversum. Al in zijn studietijd was hij geboeid door de figuur van Comenius. Met name de rol van Comenius als #pionier van het tekenonderwijs sprak hem aan.Sinds zijn pensioen maakt hij deel uit van de raad van advies van het #Comenius #Museum in #Naarden. Hij verzorgt cursussen aan de Volksuniversiteit Hilversum en geeft lezingen over lopende kunsttentoonstellingen.De identiteit van de maker van de ‘Naardense kopie’ van Rembrandts Comeniusportret is niet bekend. Er zijn wel vermoedens. Roos deed er onderzoek naar en zal er in zijn lezing over vertellen.Meer informatie: embassyofthefreemind.com/nl/museum/openingstijden-prijzen-locatie/evenementen#COM
How is Jacob Böhme relevant today? Lecture by Scott Brown Embassy of the Free Mind 2019-10-08 | LECTURE: How is Jacob Böhme relevant today? The creative use of Böhme's ideas by twentiethcentury authors and the peculiar case of Philip K. Dick - by Scott Brown.This lecture is part of the conference ‘The Role of the Netherlands in the Reception of Jacob Böhme’ from 6 - 8 October 2019. The mystical philosopher Jacob Böhme (1575-1624) was a prolific writer, but did not intend to publish any of his works. Yet he enjoyed an impressive international reception. The Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular played a key role in the dissemination of Böhme’s thought: it is here that main editions of his works were published. This conference is organised by Claudia Brink, Lucinda Martin and Cecilia Muratori as part of the ‘Jacob Böhme Exhibition Project’ supported by the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. The next exhibition on Böhme will be organized in collaboration with the Embassy of the Free Mind, also the venue of the exhibition ‘Eye for the World. The visionary thinker Jacob Böhme’ from 14th December 2019-15 March 2020.For more information, see: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/hours-admission/events#CJBE#embassyofthefreemind
Jacob Böhme und sein Biograph. Keynote speech by historian Carlos Gilly Embassy of the Free Mind 2019-10-06 | Welcoming words + Keynote speech by Carlos Gilly. Jacob Böhme und sein Biograph. Zur Geschichte von Böhmes Lebensberichten aus der Feder von Abraham von Franckenberg. This lecture is part of the conference ‘The Role of the Netherlands in the Reception of Jacob Böhme’ from 6 - 8 October 2019. The mystical philosopher Jacob Böhme (1575-1624) was a prolific writer, but did not intend to publish any of his works. Yet he enjoyed an impressive international reception. The Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular played a key role in the dissemination of Böhme’s thought: it is here that main editions of his works were published. This conference is organised by Claudia Brink, Lucinda Martin and Cecilia Muratori as part of the ‘Jacob Böhme Exhibition Project’ supported by the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. The next exhibition on Böhme will be organized in collaboration with the Embassy of the Free Mind, also the venue of the exhibition ‘Eye for the World. The visionary thinker Jacob Böhme’ from 14th December 2019-15 March 2020.For more information, see: embassyofthefreemind.com/en/plan-your-visit/hours-admission/events#CJBE#embassyofthefreemindwww.embassyofthefreemind.com
Concert: Chamber Music by Hermetic Philosopher and Musician Robert Fludd (1574-1637) Embassy of the Free Mind 2019-09-05 | Dreams and Changes: Chamber Music by Hermetic Philosopher and Musician Robert Fludd (1574-1637)Robert Fludd (1574-1637) is the author of more than twenty philosophical, medical and scientific works. Music occupies a central place in his writings, yet the music that appears in his discussion of the harmony of the universe (macrocosm) and the harmony of man (microcosm), as well as his substantive writing on music theory and organology, is ‘silent’ - a symbolic and theoretical phenomenon only. Fludd, however, was also a performer and composer. Ten trios by Fludd dating to the first half of the seventeenth century have survived from a single source. Until recently, these pieces could not be heard or played, having lain hidden in a manuscript in New Haven , CT, for many years. Hearing Fludd's imaginative chamber music will offer listeners new insights into Fludd's bold musical philosophy and the striking imagery of his publications. MusiciansLoren Ludwig, Treble ViolOliver Weston, Bass ViolMarjan Banis, RecorderProgrammeSuite II in g minorDr Fludds DreameDr Fludds Second PavanDr Fludds First Almayne his mottleCoranto by Dr FluddDr Fludds ChangesSuite I in g minorDr Fludds First PavanDr Fludds Second AlmayneDr Fludds ToyeDr Fludds ScaleThe May Gamewww.embassyofthefreemind.com#robertfludd #chambermusic #amsterdam
Lecture, Kabbalah, messianism and magic - Part II Embassy of the Free Mind 2019-08-22 | 22 AUGUST - Lecture, 'Kabbalah, messianism and magic – the Iberian Jewish identity in Amsterdam' by Ets Haim Jewish library Amsterdam curator Heide Warncke.More than 400 years ago, the first Portuguese Jews settled in Amsterdam. They came from the Iberian Peninsula where they were forced to convert to Catholicism under the Inquisition. The collection of the Ets Haim library offers a spectacular view into the lives of this 17th- and 18th-century Portuguese congregation. It shows that much of pre-expulsion Jewish intellectual and spiritual heritage found its way into the Amsterdam community.After a short introduction about the history of Ets Haim, Heide Warncke will shed light on the practice of kabbalah in Amsterdam Jewish life. How did the leaders of the community integrate kabbalistic ideas? What was the main focus of kabbalistic thought in the city? How did the congregation react to the false messiah Shabetai Zevi? And how did kabbalistic and messianistic ideas live on after this episode? Manuscripts will be shown that give evidence of the spiritual life of the Jewish community. Finally a Hebrew manuscript will be discussed that goes back to ancient Islamic magic used to foretell the future or discern hidden things.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO STAY UPDATED ABOUT OUR UPCOMING EVENTS!WWW.EMBASSYOFTHEFREEMIND.COM
Lecture, Kabbalah, messianism and magic - Part I Embassy of the Free Mind 2019-08-22 | 22 AUGUST - Lecture, 'Kabbalah, messianism and magic – the Iberian Jewish identity in Amsterdam' by Ets Haim Jewish library Amsterdam curator Heide Warncke.More than 400 years ago, the first Portuguese Jews settled in Amsterdam. They came from the Iberian Peninsula where they were forced to convert to Catholicism under the Inquisition. The collection of the Ets Haim library offers a spectacular view into the lives of this 17th- and 18th-century Portuguese congregation. It shows that much of pre-expulsion Jewish intellectual and spiritual heritage found its way into the Amsterdam community.After a short introduction about the history of Ets Haim, Heide Warncke will shed light on the practice of kabbalah in Amsterdam Jewish life. How did the leaders of the community integrate kabbalistic ideas? What was the main focus of kabbalistic thought in the city? How did the congregation react to the false messiah Shabetai Zevi? And how did kabbalistic and messianistic ideas live on after this episode? Manuscripts will be shown that give evidence of the spiritual life of the Jewish community. Finally a Hebrew manuscript will be discussed that goes back to ancient Islamic magic used to foretell the future or discern hidden things.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO STAY UPDATED ABOUT OUR UPCOMING EVENTS!WWW.EMBASSYOFTHEFREEMIND.COM
