Secret Societies and the Hermetic Code : The Rosicrucian Masonic and Esoteric Transmission in the Arts

A look into secrets hidden in music, painting, sculpture, and architecture

" Ranges from paintings of Byzantine icons to Salvador Dali, music from Mozart to Satanic Rock, and mystery sites from the Pyramids to Andrea Palladios Villa Cornaro

" Includes more than 100 color and black-and-white images that reveal the mysteries contained in these artistic works

In Secret Societies and the Hermetic Code, Ernesto Frers presents a virtual museum of artistic works that contain occult secrets. The scope of his research ranges from the paintings of Byzantine icons to Salvador Dali, from mystery sites such as the Pyramids to the architecture of Andrea Palladios Villa Cornaro. He also discusses the hermetic influence on music evidenced in the works of Mozart through to the modern era of rock and roll.

Frers explains that all cultures encode in their architecture, art, and music the instructions and diagram of their esoteric ritual and faith. He shows how during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the Churchs severe censure of anything antithetical to its dogma forced artists to conceal mystical references within the religious images or scenes they depicted. By examining works that have not received such scrutiny before, including those of Titian, di Cosimo, Botticelli, and Rembrandt, Frers brings to light the symbols and cryptic messages hidden in these masterworks. He presents his evidence using more than 100 color and black-and-white images to reveal the mysteries contained in these works of art. He also extends his investigation to the occult leanings of modern-day musicians such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin.

Frers, an author currently living in Spain, believes that great works of painting, sculpture, architecture and music contain secret symbols put there by the artists to signal their membership in ancient mystical societies. The book is arranged by medium. Frers gives his opinion on painters as diverse as Rembrandt and Dali, buildings from the Pyramids to the Escorial, and music from Beethoven to John Cage. The final section is on "Satanic Rock." Frers posits here that The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC among others, may have sold their souls to the Devil in return for success, although he is careful to state that it's only a theory. There are no corroborating footnotes, therefore this work must be classed as sheer speculation. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)