Unpacking the Jewel of the Rose Croix
By Stephen Reedy
The Secret Teachings of All Ages is celebrated for its consolidation of profound philosophical ideas. While this dense data is well summarized through the written word, dozens of symbolic paintings done by John Augustus Knapp are also exceptionally educational. If a picture is worth a thousand words, these are worth a lifetime of conversation.
Dissecting the various elements and intentions of the paintings is a fruitful exercise. This example is “The Jewel of The Rose Croix.”
The compass is a tool used by architects to draw circles on their blueprints. Circles are a symbol of energy, a force that cycles through life, death, and regeneration as it attempts to evolve matter with its vitalizing power. The circle (with a dot at its center) is also a symbol of the Sun, which we will explore as a core theme of this image.
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Dissecting the various elements and intentions of the paintings is a fruitful exercise. This example is “The Jewel of The Rose Croix.”
The compass is a tool used by architects to draw circles on their blueprints. Circles are a symbol of energy, a force that cycles through life, death, and regeneration as it attempts to evolve matter with its vitalizing power. The circle (with a dot at its center) is also a symbol of the Sun, which we will explore as a core theme of this image.
Subscribe to the New PRS Journal to read on...
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