Miscellanea curiosa... bookplate...c1706

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John Singer Sargent... Orestes Pursued by the Furies...1921

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P and lead the dance of Fate!

Lift the song that mortals hate!

Tell what rights are ours on earth,

Over all of human birth.

Swift of foot to avenge are we!

He whose hands are clean and pure,

Naught our wrath to dread hath he;

Calm his cloudless days endure.

But the man that seeks to hide

Like him, his gore-bedewèd hands,

Witnesses to them that died,

The blood avengers at his side,

The Furies' troop forever stands.

Aeschylus ~ Song of the Furies

Ernst Fuchs...Icarus... 1976

Bhaskar Lahiri... Paintings and prints...

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The ancient civilizations of the entire world , especially that of
India, with their spectacular manifestations , create an enchantment
In me. Side by side age-old Indian philosophy , history,religion,
folk-culture, literature,folk-art,etc.stir the very core of my mind.
In every nook and corner of my home state ,West Bengal,folk climes
have its presence felt.Hence my utmost sincerity is to house those
dew and dust strewn jewels into my compositions

Bhaskar Lahiri

Erotica... Unknown artist 1868

Matthäus Merian der Ältere... Dance of Death... 1789

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Hans Thoma ... print 1908

 

more > HANS THOMA

Charles Rickett... poster... 1920...satyr

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Poster advertising The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy c1920

                                         

Amid this scene of bodies substantive
       Strange waves I sight like winds grown visible,
       Which bear men's forms on their innumerous coils,
       Twining and serpenting round and through.
       Also retracting threads like gossamers—
       Except in being irresistible—
       Which complicate with some, and balance all.

Thomas Hardy 

Dolorosa... a drawing for Austin O Spare ..2011

to  Cabinet Readers Love and Magick to accompany you in the mystery tour of 2012! ♥

Dolorosa  ~ A drawing for AOS on his birthday ~ Raving Mouthed 30th Dec 2011

                                                              White pencil on black paper

Austin Osman Spare... Happy Birthday!

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Stealing the Fire from Heaven 1911-12

 

The Complete Ritual and Doctrine of Magic

Ecstasy in Self-love the Obsession

My dearest, I will now explain the only safe and true formula, the destroyer of the darkness of the World, the most secret among all secrets. Let it be secret to him who would attain. Let it cover any period of time, depending on his conception. There is no qualification, nor ritual or ceremony. His very existence symbolising all that is necessary to perfection. Most emphatically, there is no need of repetition or feeble imitation. You are alive!

from my favourite AOS book The Book of Pleasure (self-love) The Psychology of Ecstasy

more > AOS 

Lettice Sandford.. illustration from the Song of Songs 1936

1:1 The Song of Songs, which is for Solomon. 1:2 Kiss Me with the kisses of your mouth, for your love is better than wine. 1:3 Your oil has an excellent scent, but your name is the most exquisite oil – for this, all the maidens love you. 1:4 Draw Me after you. Let us run. The king has brought Me to his chambers. We will delight and take joy in you, savoring your love. Like new-pressed wine, they love you.

previous  Lettice Sandford

T. Sturge Moore (1870-1944)... Pan as an Island...c1902

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 a scan from The Modern Woodcut by Herbert Furst 1924