News & Articles

The Unknown World: A Magazine of Mysticism and Secret Knowledge

A close look at The Unknown World, Arthur Edward Waite’s short-lived 19th-century magazine devoted to esotericism, mysticism, alchemy, and the occult sciences.

A Spiritual Union and Marriage to Die For: Madame Guyon and the Bridal Metaphor in the Song of Songs

Discover the life and theology of Madame Guyon (1648 - 1717), a controversial Christian mystic whose writings link suffering, spiritual death, and divine union.

Two of Cups - Tarot Cards from Robert Gilbert’s Collection

Explore rare Waite-Smith tarot drafts and unique artifacts in Gilbert’s collection. Uncover the material history, mystical evolution, and secrets of A.E. Waite.

The ‘Dweller of the Threshold’ in Western Initiatory Literature

The Famous Engravings Accompanying Böhme's Works, which were (not) appreciated by everyone

Who engraved Jacob Böhme's mystical prints? A diary in the BPH collection unveils Michael Andreae and the curious fate of his recut copper plates.

The Wonder-Working World of ‘Christian’ Reuchlin

Reuchlin's pioneering Christian Cabbala works defended Jewish literature, linked Jesus to the Tetragrammaton, and bridged Kabbalah with Renaissance humanist thought.

Survival of the Smartest?

Reflections from clearing out the Schuhmacher antiquarian bookshop: how books survive across centuries, and why banned books endure longest of all.

Empires of the Stars: The Long Life of Hellenistic Astrology

Trace astrology's journey from Hellenistic Rome to Sasanian Persia, where emperors, scholars, and mystics shaped a thousand year tradition of cosmic wisdom.

The Sound of Stillness: The ‘Mystic Chord’ of Alexander Scriabin

Discover how Theosophy shaped Scriabin's mystical music, his color-pitch system, the legendary "mystic chord," and his Promethean vision of human consciousness.

The First Italics Ever Printed

Hidden in a 1500 woodcut of St. Catherine of Siena lie the first printed italics, designed by Francesco Griffo for Venetian printer Aldus Manutius.

The Number of the Sun: Magical Squares and Riddles in The Güldene Rose (1767)

Explore The Güldene Rose (1767): a collection of alchemical poems by J.R.V.M.D., featuring solar riddles, magical squares, and the symbolism of gold.

The Story Behind a Bookplate: What a book can tell us about the owner

Jose Bouman, librarian at the Ritman Library of the Embassy of the Free Mind, explores the story behind a bookplate by Friedrich Nicolai (1733-1811)

From the Stars to the Signs: How Ancient Cultures Shaped Astrology

Charlotte Zhu from the Embassy of the Free Mind explores how ancient cultures shaped astrology - from Mesopotamia to Hellenistic Astrology.

Exhibition Highlight: Isabella de Spiritu Sancto, Recreationen. Manuscript, autograph ca. 1670

Author Natalie Koch explores the Isabella de Spiritu Sancto, Recreationen manuscript, autograph ca. 1670, from the Embassy of the Free Mind's Gewetensvrijheid exhibition

Job, Blake, Leviathan: A Rare Proof Edition

Research article by Corey Andrews explores a rare proof edition in the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica: William Blake's Illustrations for the Bok of Job, 1826.

Het Alles, het Niets, en daartusen Joost Ritman

Het Alles, het Niets, en daartusen Joost Ritman– De bedreige boeken van een rozenkruizer. 1998 nieuwsartikel van Ewald Vanvugt.

Een genderfluïde God?

ACHTEGROND – Een genderfluïde God? In het Amsterdam van de 17de eeuw brachten vrijdenkers ideeën met zich mee die nog steeds omstreden zijn.

Joep Beving Portrayed in Trouw at the Embassy of the Free Mind

Dutch composer and pianist Joep Beving was featured in a Trouw portrait by Sander Troelstra, photographed at the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam.

Embassy of the Free Mind: All Is One - Now Streaming on That's the Spirit

The Embassy of the Free Mind documentary is available to stream on That's the Spirit, a Dutch platform for spiritual and consciousness film.

Koppen in Het Parool: the Embassy of the Free Mind Team

The Embassy of the Free Mind team featured in Koppen, the weekly portrait column by Michiel van Nieuwkerk in Het Parool's PS weekend supplement.

In Dit Museum Vind Je Het 'Geheugen van de Wereld' – De Correspondent

De Correspondent journalist Bregje Hofstede explores why the Embassy of the Free Mind is a seed bank of the mind and why that matters more than ever.

Jewel in the Crown of Amsterdam’s Canal District